10 Hardest Men That Ever Played For Arsenal

5. Patrick Vieira

Sean Dempsey/PA Archive/Press Association ImagesSean Dempsey/PA Archive/Press Association ImagesPatrick Vieira is perhaps Arsenal€™s most famous captain of the 21st century. His all-action style made him a dominant force in the Premier League and he played an instrumental role as the Gunners went a whole season unbeaten during the 2003/04 campaign. Vieira is best remembered for his conflicts with Manchester United captain Roy Keane. The pair had numerous battles during their time against each other, going toe to toe in the search for midfield supremacy. Without doubt their match ups are a brilliant highlight of the Premier League era. The fact that ITV made a documentary on the duo€™s rivalry typifies how fierce it was. Although he was renowned for his hardman ways, indeed Vieira amassed a staggering 72 yellow cards during league games while at Arsenal, the midfielder was also supremely talented on the ball. Vieira believes that current France star Paul Pogba is a carbon copy of him, a sign that he too saw himself as a lot more than your regular hardman.
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Simon is an NCTJ qualified sports journalist. He has conducted interviews with Tony Adams and Peter Shilton, while also having work published in The Daily Telegraph and The Sun. Follow him on Twitter via @sr_collings.