Wenger ‘has built men’, says Gunners defender Koscielny

Laurent Koscielny has vehemently defended boss Arsene Wenger’s managerial tenure at Arsenal, insisting the veteran manager has built “not just players, but men”.

Koscielny was plucked from French second division outfit Lorient in 2010, and has developed into one of the Premier League’s finest centre backs in his seven years at the Gunners.

Now, the 31-year-old, who has won 42 caps for France, has hit back at criticism that his manager has not won a league title in north London for 13 years.

Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images

“You may say that we haven’t won the title for a long time, but he has not just built players, he’s built men too,” Koscielny said.

“Every player who has played for Arsenal has grown here and has become a man. It’s a big number [of players].

“For me and the others, it’s a good opportunity to be with him and learn from him.

“He’s passionate about football. He loves football and he loves to watch his team play well with the ball. That’s why he’s here again after 20 years.

“Along with a lot of people, he’s helped this club grow with a new stadium, a new training ground, and he built the platform for us to compete for the Premier League and Champions League every year.”