Midfielder · 2000–2006 · verified
Robert Pirès
The silk on the left of Arsène Wenger's greatest team. Robert Pirès glided through the Premier League with a deceptive, gangling grace, weighing in with goals and assists, and was a cornerstone of the Invincibles.
| Signed | 2000, from Marseille |
|---|---|
| Fee | around £6m |
| Individual | FWA Footballer of the Year 2002 |
| Honours | League titles incl. the Invincibles |
Before Arsenal
Pirès made his name at Metz and then Marseille in France, and was part of the France squad that won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. In 2000 he signed for Arsenal for around £6m as Wenger's replacement for Marc Overmars. A slow start gave way to brilliance once he adapted to the pace and physicality of the English game.
The Arsenal years
Pirès became one of the league's most decisive attacking players, voted FWA Footballer of the Year in 2002 — a campaign cut short by a serious knee injury just as Arsenal closed on the Double. He returned to play a central role in the unbeaten Invincibles of 2003/04, winning the title without losing a match, before leaving in 2006. His understanding with Thierry Henry was telepathic.
How he played
A left-sided creator who drifted infield to devastating effect, all loping strides and clever angles. He scored crucial goals, slid in perfectly weighted passes and possessed the rare gift of arriving in the box unseen — elegance with an end product.
Timeline
- 2000Signs from Marseille
- 2002FWA Footballer of the Year
- 2004An Invincible
- 2006Leaves Arsenal
Connected pages
Verification
Published as verified · checked 25 Jun 2026 · 2 retained source references.
Sources and evidence
- Arsenal.com (reference recorded; direct URL not retained)
- Premier League (reference recorded; direct URL not retained)
Links and source labels are shown exactly as retained in the published record.