From Arteta to Fabregas: 10 Best Gunners who swapped the pitch for the dugout

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·14 October 2025

From Arteta to Fabregas: 10 Best Gunners who swapped the pitch for the dugout

With Jack Wilshere poised to become a manager for the first time this week, it is only fitting we look at how other Gunners have fared. Plus, it is the international break and I like a list.

To be honest, it is far easier writing about those who failed in the dugout (which will follow), and the truth is I do not think a top ten great Arsenal player turned manager exists.

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I have only included those who played in the Premier League era, so older Gooners can help in the comments. Obviously, I am aware of the likes of George Graham, but when I do my lists, I like to have seen that player play.

Oleh Luzhnyi

I wanted to take the opportunity to pay my love and respect to Oleh Luzhnyi, the first ever Ukrainian to lift the Premiership.

Working in Latvia and Ukraine, our former right back got most of his education at Dynamo Kyiv, where on more than one occasion he was interim manager of the club he played for.

With his reputation growing, the now 57-year-old was considering offers to work elsewhere in Europe when he decided to fight for his country in the war with Russia.

Sol Campbell

Depending on what list you put the Invincible on might come down to your opinion of whether Sol Campbell got a fair opportunity. His first managerial job was at a club bottom of League Two, five points from safety.

Considering Macclesfield’s financial difficulties, keeping the club in the Football League should have led to more attractive offers than Southend United, who were under a transfer embargo and whose season was cancelled early due to COVID.

The 51-year-old has always maintained that if the colour of his skin were different, he would have started at a higher level and been given more second chances, like some of his ex-England teammates.

Rémi Garde

Aston Villa fans will always regret the day Mr Wenger phoned and advised the new regime on his former midfielder.

It is harsh, though, to blame any manager for the club’s relegation, as their recruitment policy had been a mess. The 59-year-old had shown qualities lifting the Cup at Lyon that made him ideal for what was needed at Villa Park, but he inherited chaos – a club heading for the Championship long before he returned to England.

In Ligue 1, he built an exciting team with limited resources, emphasising youth and player development. Lyon never wanted him to leave, but he had family issues at the time. It shows how one bad job can destroy a reputation.

Thierry Henry

One of many legends of the sport who struggled to accept that not all players he now coached could do what he or his teammates once did. That does not mean skill but work rate and standards.

It can be hard spending your career training with the likes of Bergkamp, Zidane and Messi, then finding out that players without that talent do not have the same desire.

Given the off-field issues at Monaco at the time, it was always a gamble to take that job first. Yet reports of Henry sulking, shouting, poor body language and even ignoring his players were common in the French media.

The 48-year-old could get away with that as a striker but not as a boss. It is why he has been much more comfortable working with Arsenal and France’s youngsters and close with Belgium’s strikers.

A silver medal at his home Olympics could put him in line to replace Deschamps. An international job may suit him more than club management due to fewer politics.

Sylvinho

A Brazilian who has become an adopted Albanian. The Albanian President granted the 50-year-old the Golden Decoration of the Eagle, an honour normally reserved for those who go to war for the country.

Not only did our former left back take the nation to only their second European Championships, but it was how he did it – winning hearts with the way they played against Italy, Croatia and Spain.

While others in his position would have flown in only during international breaks, he insisted on moving to Tirana, wanting to change the sport off the pitch for the next generation.

He built a scouting and analytical team to find talent across neighbouring countries who could qualify to play for Albania. A famous win in Serbia has put them second in England’s World Cup group.

Patrick Vieira

Like Thierry Henry, an Invincible, World Cup and Euros winner, Vieira has experienced similar issues working with players not as talented as those he once shared a pitch with.

Unlike his countryman, the 49-year-old has been praised by players for his man-management style and calm demeanour. He had decent debut seasons at Crystal Palace and Nice and maybe was sacked too soon.

After an underwhelming spell at Strasbourg, he needed to get his next job right. When he arrived in Italy last November, Genoa were 17th in Serie A. They finished 13th, earning Vieira a new contract.

He has never done a bad job, so do not be shocked to see him back in the Premier League one day.

David O’Leary

Having last managed 14 years ago, it is fair to say the 67-year-old will not work again in the Premier League. Yet he is the only name on this list whose full body of work we can judge.

In his first managerial job, he never finished lower than fifth at Leeds and took them to two European semi-finals. Yet his legacy at Elland Road and his part in “doing a Leeds” is debated to this day.

Our ex-defender thought Peter Ridsdale was helping him build a young squad to win the Premiership, not realising the chairman was gambling with money the club did not have.

Everything was fine as long as Champions League qualification continued. The one year it did not, fire sale. Writing a tell-all book while Bowyer and Woodgate were on trial supported the perception of a man motivated by money at the expense of the team.

He later sued his ex-employers and settled out of court. Given that he fell out with Doug Ellis at Aston Villa and Al-Ahli were forced to pay him over £3 million compensation, you can understand why owners were reluctant to hire him again.

This is not the mild-mannered professional who played at Highbury. As a manager, he was not afraid to stand up to his bosses.

Cesc Fàbregas

If Mikel Arteta left tomorrow and the Kroenke family wanted to hire a former Gunner, Fàbregas’ name would be on the rise – if fans can forgive his Chelsea spell.

At 38, he is only going to learn more and get better. Sometimes you need luck in your career, and retiring in Serie B with Como fast-tracked him into management.

After retirement, not wanting to lose a marquee name, Como invited our ex-captain to coach their Under-19s. Just four months later, he was made interim boss of the first team.

While never publicly admitted, it felt as if the club hired Osian Roberts as caretaker so someone held the official title while Fàbregas gained his UEFA Pro licence.

Though he cannot officially be credited with Como’s promotion, he was integral to the process. Now fully qualified, he has kept them from relegation and led them to their best finish since 1987.

Educated by Mr Wenger and Mr Guardiola, it is no surprise his philosophy emphasises keeping possession and regaining it immediately when lost. With some Gooners unhappy with Arsenal’s current style, a reunion is not impossible one day.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst

The most successful manager on this list, lifting trophies in three different countries, including Feyenoord’s first title in 18 years.

Given the turmoil at Rangers and Beşiktaş, he may have left Holland too soon, thinking the grass would be greener elsewhere.

Thanks to the bosses he worked under, it is no surprise he likes to attack with wingers and overlapping full backs, but his ability to adapt to different squads has earned him respect.

Accepting an assistant coaching role under Arne Slot at Liverpool should not be seen as giving up managerial ambitions. He knows success there could open further doors, just as Heitinga’s spell at Anfield led him to Ajax.

Mikel Arteta

The only Gunner to lift a trophy both as Arsenal captain and then as manager.

He earned a reputation as an excellent coach at the Etihad, particularly for his one-to-one work improving individual players.

The standards he learned at Manchester City he has demanded since returning to the Emirates, not tolerating anyone who fails to meet his principles. The number of players whose contracts have been terminated divides opinion.

Arteta has fixed the club defensively, making us one of the best teams in the world at grinding out narrow wins, something previous sides could not do.

Has the Spaniard, though, taken something away offensively? We have lost our reputation as one of the most entertaining sides to watch. It remains to be seen whether the 43-year-old can or will adapt his tactics.

The Kroenke family have backed him again in the summer, but now the question is whether our ex-midfielder can finally get us over the line.

Dan Smith

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