The first of three former Gunners who found out very sharply that the grass isnt always greener on the other side of a one way ticket to Barcelona. Despite his lack of a goalscoring prowess, in the three seasons that Alex Hleb plied his trade in North London, he forged a reputation as one of Europes brightest playmakers. Having been acquired from Stuttgart in 2005, he was tasked with the unenviable challenge of replacing Robert Pires on the left hand side of the pitch despite the fact that he wasnt a natural winger. Delivering stellar performances in a troubled Gunners side, the team reached the finals of the Champions League and the League Cup. In 2008, however, he re-enacted what former team-mate Thierry Henry had done a year previously, and boarded a flight to Spain. Costing £13 million pounds, Hleb found it difficult to live up to the faith shown in him by Guardiola, appearing in sporadic bursts of first-team football. In March 2009, following a paltry five league starts, he admitted that he was beginning to second-guess his career move, and was ready to accept a mooted offer from Bayern Munich.
''I am right in the best years of my career and I do not want to spend those years on the bench. Bayern Munich is a special club, their interest in me is a delightful honour. Bayern is amongst the best teams in the world. Alexandre Hleb, 2009.
The move, as it happens, didnt materialise, and it must be said that whoever was advising Hlebs career trajectory probably never made a dime from him again following the summer of 2009. Having failed to feature much for the treble-winning Barcelona side of 08/09, he foolishly turned down the opportunity to join Inter Milan following the seasons climax who would then go on to win the treble under the stewardship of one Jose Mourinho.
Instead, a disappointing loan spell at former club Stuttgart was his next port of call, before spending the rest of his Barcelona career on loan at Birmingham City and Wolfsburg. The Belarussian playmaker is still only 33, and is desperately trying to recapture a fleeting career at Turkish side Konyaspor.
Recent Journalism & New Media graduate. Insatiable thirst for all things football, and hopes to break into the field of sports journalism in the near future.
Have made a significantly insignificant playing career out of receiving several slaps around the head for not passing the ball.
