Where were all the current Premier League managers when Arsene Wenger joined Arsenal?

October 1, 1996 is a date that will forever be remembered in English football as it was the day Arsene Wenger, a relative unknown French manager, officially took charge of Arsenal to change their fortunes immensely.

The Gunners across his first decade in charge enjoyed unprecedented success as well as playing some of the most exhilarating football. However, the last decade which has coincided with a much-needed stadium move, has been less profitable.

Nevertheless, Wenger remained a survivor throughout adversary, reaching a milestone not many back then could have envisaged. He was essentially the last of a dying breed upon his departure in May 2018. The days of the dynastic manager, who remain at one club for a lengthy period of time, are now consigned to history.

To put his achievement into context: at the time of his departure, Wenger was the only top-division European manager that joined their present club in the 20th century. But that chapter was finally closed with Wenger ending his 22-year association in north London at the end of last season.

So where were all the current Premier League managers when Wenger took charge of Arsenal?

Unai Emery (Arsenal)

Where: Toledo

Role: Player

Age: 24

Wenger’s replacement at Arsenal had just signed for Toledo in Spain’s second division after failing to break into Real Sociedad’s first team.

Eddie Howe (Bournemouth)

Where: Bournemouth

Role: Player

Age: 18

Howe, a graduate of Bournemouth’s academy, made his first-team debut with his boyhood club in December 1995 and would go on to register 201 official appearances before leaving for Portsmouth in 2002.

Chris Hughton (Brighton and Hove Albion)

Where: Tottenham Hotspur under-21
Role: Manager
Age: 37

Hughton had finished his playing career in 1993, and for four years he was learning the managerial trade as head coach of Tottenham Hotspur’s under-21 team, before taking over as caretaker manager a year after Wenger’s appointment.

Sean Dyche (Burnley)

Where: Chesterfield
Role: Player
Age: 25

By the time Wenger took office Dyche was in his final season with The Spireites whom he joined from Nottingham Forest, then under the auspices of the esteemed Brian Clough, in 1990.

Neil Warnock (Cardiff City)

Where: Plymouth Argyle

Role: Manager

Age: 47

Sixteen years into his managerial career, Warnock was managing his seventh club in Plymouth Argyle, leading the Pilgrims to Division Two. Though he was sacked shortly after in February 1997.

Maurizio Sarri (Chelsea)

Where: U.S.D Antella
Role: Manager
Age: 37

Though many know the tale of Maurizio Sarri’s late entrance into football, in 1996 the Italian was managing an amateur team called U.S.D Antella in his native country.

Roy Hodgson (Crystal Palace)

Where: Inter Milan
Role: Manager
Age: 48

The Nerazzurri were bottom of Serie A when Hodgson took charge of the San Siro club, and he guided them to a seventh-place finish. The 1996-97 was even more successful for the former England manager, finishing third in the Italian league, though it was not enough to keep him his job, as he was replaced by Luigi Simoni.

Marco Silva (Everton)

Where: Belenenses
Role: Player
Age: 19

Silva was in his first season as a player for Portuguese side Belenenses, making just one appearance before leaving just one year later.

Slavisa Jokanovic (Fulham)

Where: Tenerife

Role: Player

Age: 28

Jokanovic was enjoying the best spell of his playing career, going into his second of four years at Tenerife helping the Spanish side finish as high as fifth in La Liga.

David Wagner (Huddersfield Town)

Where: Schalke 04

Role: Player

Age: 24

Having netted 19 goals in 94 games for Mainz, Wagner went on to sign for Schalke in 1995, and the following campaign, he won the UEFA Cup during the 1996-97 season.

Claude Puel (Leicester City)

Where: Unattached
Age: 35

Puel (third from left) spent a few seasons together with Wenger at Monaco before hanging up his boots just months prior to his former boss arriving in London.

Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)

Where: Mainz 05
Role: Player
Age: 29

Not exactly the most gifted; Klopp, nonetheless, enjoyed a productive career where the seeds of a successful managerial career were being sown in his later years in Mainz.

Pep Guardiola (Manchester City)

Where: Barcelona
Role: Player
Age: 25

Guardiola towards the backend of 1996 was at the height of his powers, a member of Johan Cruyff’s “dream team”, he was Bobby Robson’s midfield general as Barcelona vied for the Spanish championship.

Jose Mourinho (Manchester United)

Where: Barcelona
Role: Assistant coach
Age: 33

Initially arriving at the Camp Nou as Robson’s translator, a role he performed during their period together at FC Porto, his role slowly evolved to that of a traditional assistant manager. The lessons he learnt would hold him in good stead.

Rafael Benitez (Newcastle United)

Where: Osasuna

Role: Manager

Age: 36

The Spaniard endured a torrid start to his managerial career, lasting just one season with Real Valladolid before managing just nine days in the 1996-97 season with Osasuna.

Mark Hughes (Southampton)

Where: Chelsea
Role: Player
Age: 32

The former Manchester United striker enjoyed three seasons at the Blues, whom he joined in 1995, before moving into the dugout in 1999 by taking charge of his native Wales.

Mauricio Pochettino (Tottenham Hotspur)

Where: Espanyol
Role: Player
Age: 24

Pochettino, who began a 17-year playing career at Newell’s Old Boys, left Argentina for Espanyol in 1994 where he became a mainstay in central defence for the rest of the decade.

Javi Gracia (Watford)

Where: Real Sociedad

Role: Player

Age: 25

A robust and combative defensive midfielder, Gracia was a prominent figure in the heart of Real Sociedad’s midfield, playing in over 100 La Liga matches during a four year spell with the Txuri-urdinak.

Manuel Pellegrini (West Ham)

Where: Unattached
Age: 43

Though Pellegrini has had a long and illustrious managerial career, 1996 represented a short lull having left Universidad Catolica in 1995 and not finding employment again until 1998 with Palestino.

Nuno Espirito Santo (Wolves)

Where: Vitoria Guimaraes
Role: Player
Age: 22

Wolves boss Espirito Santo did not have the greatest playing career, and in 1996 was coming to an end a four-year stay with Vitoria Guimaraes playing just 34 times for the Portuguese side.

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