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Boss - The detail that made Pires great

Robert Pires
Robert Pires

By Chris Harris in New York

Arsene Wenger says Robert Pires is a perfect example of how little details can create a big star.

The France international became a legend at Arsenal, scoring 84 goals in 284 games as the club secured a league and cup double in 2002 and completed an unbeaten Premier League title campaign in 2004.

Pires has an FA Cup-winning goal to his name too but, speaking at an Emirates Business Breakfast in New York, Wenger argued that he would have been less effective if a particular trait had not been identified.

"He has unbelievable preferential vision, so on the right he is a normal player but on the left he became a world-class player"

"What's important is finding a position that suits perfectly a player's qualities, a position where he can express his technical qualities and a position where you do not expose his flaws," said Wenger.

"The little details are very, very important, like preferential vision. Some players see more on the right and some see more on the left. If you see a player who passes to the right all the time because of that, then you put them on the left.

"Robert Pires is a good example. He has unbelievable preferential vision, so on the right he is a normal player but on the left he became a world-class player. On the left wing he saw everything, but on the right wing he saw nothing."

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