Former striker regrets joining Gunners
Former Arsenal striker Francis Jeffers has admitted that signing for Arsenal ruined his career.
Jeffers signed for the Gunners in 2001, costing £8million from Everton.
However, he only played a small role in the team’s Premier League and FA Cup successes that season, with other players such as Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Sylvain Wiltord and Nwankwo Kanu all being played ahead of him.
When looking back on his career, he now admits that he decided to leave Everton when the time wasn’t right,
‘I’ve got to be really honest, looking back on my career I left the club too soon,’ said Jeffers.
‘[Arsenal] wasn’t the right move for me but it was a difficult time because of the way our Football Club was then, it wasn’t like it is now. It was a good move for me and the Club at the time but it was definitely too soon and probably the wrong move.
‘I went from being a regular at Everton to going down there and not being able to get into the team
‘When you’re sitting at home at think back at how your career’s gone, I feel my head was turned. I was only young. It was difficult because I felt Arsenal were the best team in the league at the time. I’d just watched them play Liverpool in the FA Cup final and absolutely battered them but came out losing the game.
“It was a tough decision for me because I’m an Evertonian, I’d been a season ticket holder all my life. It was a big decision but one that never worked out for me.”
By Ben Kelly – @benkelly_10
