Football
Mattias Karen, Arsenal correspondent 7y

Laurent Koscielny: Arsene Wenger has 'built men' at Arsenal

Arsenal centre-back Laurent Koscielny says Arsene Wenger deserves credit for having "built men" at the club even when the Gunners were not winning titles.

Koscielny, 31, has been Arsenal's stand-in captain this season in place of the injured Per Mertesacker, and says Wenger's influence has helped him grow as a person since joining the Gunners from Lorient in 2010.

"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 told Arsenal's official website.

"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."

Arsenal have not won the Premier League since 2004, but Koscielny has won two FA Cups with the Gunners and signed a contract extension last week that will keep him at the club until 2020 -- despite Wenger normally being reluctant to hand long-term deals to players over 30.

Wenger himself is out of contract at the end of the season and has yet to decide whether to stay on, but Koscielny said his legacy goes beyond the team's results.

"He's passionate about football. He loves football and he loves to watch his team play well with the ball," he said. "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."

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