Houllier: Dein was key to Arsenal success for Wenger

Former Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier is delighted for Arsene Wenger after he became Arsenal's longest-ever serving manager.

Houllier hailed the 13 years Wenger has been in charge of the Gunners, telling Sky Sports: “It is outstanding, I would say it’s extraordinary in the fact that probably not many managers would last after ten years in a big club.

"But maybe Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene are becoming different people in a very different world. I would say he deserves a lot of credit for that. We’ve known each other since 1983 because we did the pro licence together. We could feel that Arsene was going to become a manager for a long time because he was so much in love with the game.

"If you ask me what is the reason for his success – he came to England in 1996, in 1998 he won the first double with Arsenal. One of the recipes of success is the immediate outstanding chemistry he had with David Dein, who brought him to the club. Together they could shape the team gradually and they could turn.

"Some players had to leave, some new players had to come and also the quality of Arsene. If you ask me I would say he’s a winner, he’s a fierce competitor, he’s got fire in the belly despite the smooth surface."

 
Click here for more Arsenal news and Wenger comment