Editing Tony Adams (section)

=== 1996–2002: Wenger's arrival and retirement ===

{{quote box
| quote = "When I first came to Arsenal, I realised the back four were all university graduates in the art of defending. As for Tony Adams, I consider him to be a doctor of defence."
| source = – Wenger hailing Adams' experience in 1997.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-artistic-and-cultural-influence-of-arsenals-famous-back-four/ |title=The Artistic and Cultural Influence of Arsenal's Famous Back Four |date=9 February 2017 |last=Magee |first=Will |website=Vice |access-date=10 May 2024}}</ref>
| align = right
| width = 25%
}}Six weeks into Adams's sobriety, [[Arsène Wenger]] arrived as Arsenal manager in October 1996. Adams reflected in 2020 that Wenger understood his psychology, and knew of the dangers of alcohol, as his parents ran a pub.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wrack |first1=Susy |title=Tony Adams: 'Alcohol gave me a good hiding – I needed a lot of pain' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/jan/31/tony-adams-alcohol-gave-me-good-hiding-i-needed-pain-sporting-chance-arsenal |access-date=12 October 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=31 January 2020}}</ref> Adams rewarded his manager's understanding handsomely, captaining the club to two [[FA Premier League|Premiership]] and FA Cup [[Double (association football)|Doubles]], in [[1997–98 in English football|1997–98]] and [[2001–02 in English football|2001–02]].<ref name="highs">{{cite news |title=Tony Adams' career highs and lows |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2009/feb/09/tony-adams-career-profile-portsmouth |access-date=12 October 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=9 February 2009}}</ref>

In August 2002, just before the start of the [[2002–03 in English football|2002–03]] season, Adams retired from professional football after a career spanning almost 20 years, his last match being the [[2002 FA Cup Final]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ridley |first1=Ian |title=Adams: the next chapter |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/aug/11/newsstory.sport12 |access-date=12 October 2022 |work=The Guardian |date=11 August 2002}}</ref> He played 674 matches for Arsenal (only [[David O'Leary]] has played more) and was the most successful captain in the club's history. The number 6 shirt that Adams wore when playing was not used again until the [[2006–07 in English football|2006–07 season]], when it was assigned to [[Philippe Senderos]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mannion |first1=Damian |title=From Ronaldo to Owen, Dalglish to Clough, Adams to Senderos: famous numbers worn by crap players |url=https://talksport.com/uncategorized/143783/ronaldo-owen-dalglish-clough-adams-senderos-famous-numbers-worn-crap-pla-175835/ |access-date=12 October 2022 |publisher=Talksport |date=4 July 2012}}</ref>

Just before his retirement as a player, Adams had applied to become manager of [[Brentford F.C.|Brentford]] (who had just missed out on promotion to Division One) after the resignation of [[Steve Coppell]], but his application was rejected.<ref>{{cite news
| url        = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/2069118.stm
| title      = Brentford snub Adams
| work  = [[BBC Sport]]
| date       = 27 June 2002
| access-date = 8 January 2009
| location=London}}</ref>

Nicknamed "Mr Arsenal", he was honoured by Arsenal with a testimonial game against [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]] in May 2002 with many Arsenal legends playing, including [[Ian Wright]], [[John Lukic]] and Adams's fellow back four stalwarts, Dixon, Winterburn and Bould. The game finished 1–1 with Lee Dixon, in his final appearance for the Gunners, getting their goal.<ref name="testimonial">{{cite news |last=Brodkin |first=Jon |date=14 May 2002 |title=A night out for the Adams family |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2002/may/14/newsstory.sport1 |access-date=28 October 2008 |work=The Guardian |location=London}}</ref> In March 2003, just seven months after his retirement and with Arsenal [[BBC Sport]] named Adams as the former Arsenal player that the club would most benefit from returning.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/2872203.stm | work=BBC News | title=Blast from the past: Part one | date=24 March 2003 | first=Tom | last=Fordyce}}</ref>

In 2004, Adams was inducted into the [[English Football Hall of Fame]] in recognition of his impact on the English game, and in 2008 he was placed third in the 50 Greatest Gunners poll on the club's website.

A statue of Adams was placed outside Emirates Stadium in celebration of the club's 125th anniversary on 9 December 2011. Manager Herbert Chapman and Arsenal's all-time top goal scorer [[Thierry Henry]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wilson |first1=Jeremy |title=Arsenal to unveil statues of Thierry Henry, Tony Adams, and Herbert Chapman for 125th anniversary |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/8939187/Arsenal-to-unveil-statues-of-Thierry-Henry-Tony-Adams-and-Herbert-Chapman-for-125th-anniversary.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/8939187/Arsenal-to-unveil-statues-of-Thierry-Henry-Tony-Adams-and-Herbert-Chapman-for-125th-anniversary.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=2 September 2020 |work=The Telegraph |date=7 December 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and later [[Dennis Bergkamp]], were also immortalised with statues outside the ground.<ref>{{cite news |title=Arsenal unveil Dennis Bergkamp statue |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-26303200 |access-date=2 September 2020 |work=BBC News |date=22 February 2014}}</ref>