DURING the final years of Arsene Wenger’s reign as Arsenal manager, there must have been times when he wished he could turn back the famous Highbury clock to the start of his glory days with the Gunners. He wouldn’t have been the only one.

John Hartson isn’t one to dwell too much on the past, but he can’t help but recall one of the sliding doors moments of his career, along with a certain medical at Ibrox, that significantly altered his path in the game. This particular brush with fate would see the Welshman miss out on the most successful era of Arsenal’s history, and miss out on quite a few medals for his collection too.

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Hartson’s two-year spell with the North London giants straddled the last season of George Graham’s reign and the first season of the Wenger revolution, giving him the perfect standpoint to witness the impact the Frenchman had on the club.

Unfortunately for him though, the impetuousness of youth led to him agitating for a move at the worst possible moment, proving that sometimes, you really should be careful what you wish for.

“In 1997 I went to West Ham and broke their transfer record in doing so under Harry Redknapp, but Arsenal then won the double in ’98,” laughed Hartson. “What a good decision that was.

“I could have stayed and played with Thierry Henry and Nicolas Anelka, and I had five years left on my deal. Arsene wanted me to stay as well and learn off Dennis Bergkamp and Ian Wright and these guys, but I was impatient, and at 19 I thought I was good enough to be playing at Arsenal.

“Maybe looking back, I should have been a bit more patient and listened, but I thought I knew it all. I could have had a couple of more medals in my cabinet, but Harry can be quite persistent when he wants something, and I had some great times at West Ham.”

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Hartson can see the funny side of his decision to leave for West Ham all those years ago now, and even if it was the case that he would rather forget about it, Wenger is the one man who won’t let him.

“We have lots of fun about it, because I do a lot of their games on the radio and I sometimes stay in the same hotel in the Arsenal team,” he said. “He’s always very forthcoming along with Steve Bould, and I’ve had great times with the both of them.”

With Wenger announcing yesterday that he was finally bringing to an end his 22-year reign in charge of Arsenal at the end of the current campaign, it has given Hartson – along with countless others – the chance to reflect on the impact that the Frenchman had on them during his record-breaking spell in charge of the Gunners.

Looking back, what he remembers most is the meticulous attention to detail that Wenger brought with him from Japanese side Nagoya Grampus Eight. There was sneering indifference from some, who wondered who on earth this bespectacled, professor-like coach was, but not only did he soon make them fully aware of who he was, he soon revolutionised the English game.

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“I played in his debut match, a 2-0 win away to Blackburn Rovers,” recalled Hartson.

“The first impression of him really was just how meticulous he was. He would tell us to do these things like to slow down on our eating. His big saying was ‘chew to win!’ You had to eat slowly and not rush it.

“He completely changed warming up and introduced warming down really. At training, we would warm up thoroughly, and that never happened previously. We would all get in a circle and then get straight into it after a little stretch, whereas Arsene would spend 40 minutes stretching after sessions.

“He added years onto careers of guys like Tony Adams, Martin Keown and David Seaman – the whole England back four at the time really – and he made superstars out of the likes of Thierry Henry.

“So many players owe so much to him, he really went the extra mile to improve players and wring the very best out of them.”

So, after 22 seasons, 17 trophies, three Premiership titles, the famous ‘Invincible’ season and seven FA Cups – the most of any manager – Arsenal’s longest-serving boss will finally ride off into the sunset. And Hartson is delighted that is has come at a time of his own choosing.

“He’s leaving on his terms, and he can walk out with his head held high,” he said.

“He’s Arsenal’s most successful manager of all time, and he has been a giant in the history of the club. He has transformed Arsenal as a club and the way that players look after themselves with his methods and his ideas.

“He was fantastic for the English game as a whole, and he revolutionised the Premier League to a large extent, never mind just Arsenal.

“I’m sad to see him go, but I’m not surprised, and he probably feels it’s the right time. Good for him.”