Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has declared himself the best in the world for developing talent. The Frenchman insists he has no equal.
Asked if he believes his record is better than any other manager, Wenger said: "Of course. There is nobody else in the world. Take the list of the players who started here. Johan Djourou, where has he started? Here. [Philippe] Senderos, where has he started? [Gaël] Clichy, where has he started? [Kieran] Gibbs? Where has he started? [Cesc] Fábregas? Where has he started? [Alexandre] Song? Where has he started? [Abou] Diaby has basically never played before at the top level. Ashley Cole. If you go back, it is unbelievable the number of players who started at this club."
In the 1990s Sir Alex Ferguson developed a wave of homegrown players at Manchester United that included Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and the Neville brothers. But Wenger dismissed the Scot's recent record. "When I arrived [as Arsenal manager in September 1996] nearly all their team had started [at United]. Not recently," he said.
What of Barcelona or Real Madrid? "Real Madrid? Zero. Barcelona has, but I speak about me," he said. "When I go back to Monaco [where he was manager between 1987-1994] the number of players that started with me, [for example] Emmanuel Petit and Lilian Thuram."
