Long-serving director Ken Friar says Arsene Wenger's influence at Arsenal runs right through the club.

Wenger became Arsenal's longest serving manager this week.

And Friar told arsenal.com: "Arsène came here in 1996 and he really picked the team up tremendously at that time. He took very little time to settle down and he has been in my view an absolute treasure in the success that he's brought with him. In the period he's been here he's won three League titles, four FA Cups, four Charity Shields, plus we've been finalists in the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup and the Carling Cup. That record just speaks for itself and illustrates what an absolutely tremendous job Arsène has done.

"Arsène had a great deal of input into design and construction of the new training ground too. That was a most exciting development and it was his forethought that really drove the whole project on. His hallmark is on virtually every detail of that training ground, whether it be the condition of the pitches, the undersoil heating, the imaginative way he designed all the rooms.

"Then there's the dressing rooms themselves, the way he's changed the catering and he's got players now on diets that never happened before. His attention to detail has been absolutely immense.

"And of course, when we decided to move to new stadium, Arsène's input was vitally important for two reasons. One, we could never have built that stadium without the success that he's brought us, and, two, we were so fortunate to have Arsène's eye for detail in designing the playing areas that are used on a regular basis.

"The fact that we are probably now the foremost in terms of design pays great tribute to the contribution that Arsène made."

 
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