Robert Pires
© SilverHub
One of a number of Frenchmen who helped to transform Arsenal back into a major force in English football following Arsene Wenger's arrival, Robert Pires left an indelible mark on the Gunners during his six-year stay at the club.
The winger moved to Highbury in 2000 as a replacement for Marc Overmars and helped Arsenal to the FA Cup final in his debut campaign before going one better and lifting the trophy a year later.
The Gunners also won the Premier League title that season, with Pires topping the assists charts and winning both the FWA Footballer of the Year and Arsenal's Player of the Season award for his performances.
The France international then went on to score the winning goal in the FA Cup final in 2003 before finding the back of the net 14 times and creating seven more to help the club to their unbeaten season in 2003-04, combining with Thierry Henry to devastating effect throughout the campaign.
Pires again hit 14 goals the following season, which ended with another FA Cup title, before playing his last game for the club in the 2006 Champions League final defeat to Barcelona.
Pires left the club for Villarreal having scored 84 goals in 189 Premier League appearances, helping Arsenal to two league titles and three FA Cups along the way.
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Barney Corkhill
