The Fantasy Football Club: Arsenal legend David O'Leary picks #One2Eleven

Arsenal’s record appearance maker David O’Leary dropped into The Fantasy Football Club studio this week to pick his #One2Eleven.

The Fantasy Football Club

Former centre-back O’Leary played 722 times for The Gunners between 1973 and 1993 and, in the process, teamed with a host of iconic players.

The defensive legend also represented Ireland with distinction, amassing 68 caps, so had many options when it came to selecting a side from the best footballers he played with.

Read below to see who David chose…

Goalkeeper: Pat Jennings

DAVID SAYS: He was absolutely brilliant. He was an amazing goalkeeper with amazing hands, who caught and held the ball and didn’t tip it over the bar or around the post. He was calm, unflappable and dominant. The nearest thing to Pat now is Chelsea’s Thiabut Courtois.

Full-Backs: Mark Lawrenson and Kenny Sansom

DAVID SAYS: Mark always played for Liverpool as a centre-half but he played on the right on many occasions for Ireland as he was quick, great on the ball. Kenny, meanwhile, was a great all-round player. Full-backs today bomb on and get a cross in but the art of stopping a cross at the other end doesn’t really matter. Kenny could do both; he was a great defender and could create havoc at the other end.

Centre-Backs: Tony Adams and Paul McGrath

DAVID SAYS: My captain, Tony, is in there not for his technical ability but for his willpower. I saw him develop at Arsenal and he was a winner, a leader and a proper defender, much like John Terry. He was someone who let you know when things weren’t right and was someone you could follow. Paul McGrath is alongside Tony because he was a Rolls Royce. He was so strong, hard and gifted on the ball and probably didn’t realise how great a player he was.

Midfielders: Alan Ball, Roy Keane, Liam Brady, George Armstrong

DAVID SAYS: Alan was special player and a brilliant captain with the way he helped you and wanted you to do well. I played with Roy, meanwhile, in his early days and knew he was going to be special. He had a will to win, even in five-a-side matches in training, and demanded things from people. Brady is in because he is as good as anybody I’ve ever played with. He could take players on and create, score goals and had great determination. Armstrong wouldn’t have been the most talented in this side but he was a top-class, bread-and-butter player.

Strikers: Frank Stapleton and Ian Wright

DAVID SAYS: These two strikers stood out for me. Frank was a complete centre-forward in that he would work for the team, run into the channels and was great in the air. Nobody thought he was going to be as good as he was but he surprised people because of his hard work. Ian was unreal and really suited George Graham’s system. He was a goal machine and someone you always thought would take a chance. You always wonder when someone comes to a big club if they can cope with the pressure and expectation but Ian was brilliant right from the start.