Nicolas Anelka: 'Keown was the toughest. He was fast, strong and dirty'
Nicolas Anelka has been an Arsenal regular for just 2 seasons in the late 90s - but it was enough for Martin Keown to make a deep impression on him.
"I think Martin Keown was the toughest," Anelka told Bolton Wanderer’s website in a Q&A. "He was fast, strong and dirty.
"I liked playing against him in training because I knew it was just like a game situation.
"He helped me a lot to adapt to English football, along with Tony Adams and Steve Bould. Of course it was war every time I played against him when I was facing Arsenal."
Keown certainly was a tough no-nonsense defender the likes of which Arsenal severely lack now. The way he injured Rami Shaaban in training (unintentionally of course) perhaps sums up Keown best: competitve even in training drills.
Comments
Keown is the definition of old school cool