Jack Wilshere was 16 years old when he made his Arsenal debut, and plenty of fans will have fond memories of the academy graduate.
The midfielder has announced his retirement at the age of 30, and the news has inevitably taken supporters on a nostalgia trip back to 2008 when he replaced Robin van Persie to become the Gunners’ youngest ever debutant.
Wilshere wasn’t the only player to make his Arsenal bow in the 2008-09 season, though, and here’s what has become of the others who made their first appearance for the club during that campaign.
Andrey Arshavin
Arshavin didn’t join Arsenal until the second half of the 2008-09 season, but he made an impact fairly quickly.
The Russian international scored six goals for the Gunners before the end of the season, including a famous quadruple against Liverpool, and had 31 by the time he left north London.
He retired in 2018, having ended his career in Kazakhstan, and recently spoke about his fondness for former Arsenal team-mate Cesc Fabregas.
Amaury Bischoff
Bischoff arrived at Arsenal with a high ceiling but a patchy injury history and his debut against Wigan Athletic in November 2008 ended up being one of just four games he played for the club.
The Portugal Under-21 international spent most of the last decade in Germany, racking up more than 150 league appearances in the third tier for Preußen Munster and Hansa Rostock.
He’s now back in Colmar in France, the town of his birth, playing fifth-tier football a stone’s throw from Arsene Wenger’s birthplace of Strasbourg.
Rui Fonte
Fonte’s one and only appearance for Arsenal, who he joined as a 16-year-old in 2006, was as a late substitute for Carlos Vela in a 3-0 League Cup victory over Wigan.
It’s been a nomadic few years since then for the Portuguese winger, who was loaned out by Arsenal to Crystal Palace and Vitoria Setubal before a permanent move to Espanyol in 2011. Stints with Benfica, Braga, Fulham, Lille and Estoril have followed and he’s now turning out in the Portuguese Primeira Liga for Famalicao.
Gavin Hoyte
The Leytonstone-born defender is turning out for Maidstone United these days, in case you were wondering.
Want to know more about Hoyte’s career and solitary league appearance for Arsenal? We’ve got you covered.
READ: The story of Gavin Hoyte and his solitary Premier League game for Arsenal
Vito Mannone
Bert from Bert & Ernie Italian goalkeeper Mannone was a peripheral figure at Arsenal, having emerged as a third-choice…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Football365…