Andy Cole, who began his career at Arsenal, made two appearances for the club.
Arsenal Football Club, an association football club based in Islington, London, was founded in 1886 as Dial Square. They became the first southern member[nb 1] admitted into the Football League in 1893, having spent their first four seasons solely participating in cup tournaments and friendlies.[3] The club's name, which shortly changed to Woolwich Arsenal, was shortened to Arsenal in 1914, a year after moving to Highbury.[4] Despite finishing fifth in the Second Division in 1914–15, Arsenal rejoined the First Division at the expense of local rivals Tottenham Hotspur when football resumed after the First World War.[5] Since that time, they have not fallen below the first tier of the English football league system and hold the record for the longest uninterrupted period in the top flight.[6] The club's first team have competed in numerous national and continental organised competitions, and all players who have played between 1 and 24 such matches are listed below.
Since Arsenal's first competitive match, more than 500 players have failed to reach 25 appearances for the club. Many of these players have spent only a short period of their career at Arsenal before seeking opportunities in other teams; some players had their careers cut short by injury, while others left for other reasons. John Kosmina, who joined from Adelaide City in 1978, only made four appearances for Arsenal, before returning to his native Australia where his goalscoring record was prolific.[7]Vladimir Petrović featured 22 times as an Arsenal first-teamer, and later forged a managerial career, coaching Red Star Belgrade and the Serbia national team.[8]Andy Cole, who played one league match as a youngster for Arsenal, moved to Newcastle United where he won the Premier League Golden Boot in 1993–94, and enjoyed further success at Manchester United in the mid-to-late 1990s.[9]David Bentley and Rohan Ricketts left Arsenal in pursuit of first-team football, and both went on to play for Tottenham Hotspur at certain stages of their careers.[10]
Our summer signing from Ajax, 18-year-old Tommy Setford, played the full 90 minutes against Preston North end in the EFL cup, keeping a clean sheet in the process. While Hale End Academy product Ayden Heaven came on in central defence for the last ten minutes – the two became the 911th and 912th players in our history respectively.
Key
The list is ordered first by date of debut, and then if necessary in alphabetical order.
Appearances as a substitute are included. This feature of the game was introduced in the Football League at the start of the 1965–66 season.[13]
Unless otherwise noted, the nationality of a player is determined by the country/countries which he has played for, or if said person has not played international football, their country of birth.
Position
Playing positions are listed according to the tactical formations that were employed at the time. Thus the change in the names of defensive and midfield positions reflects the tactical evolution that occurred from the 1960s onwards.
Club career
Club career is defined as the first and last calendar years in which the player appeared for the club in any of the competitions listed below.
Gerrit Keizer, a Dutch goalkeeper, joined Arsenal in 1930 and made 13 appearances for the club.Vladimir Petrović (pictured in 2010) made 22 appearances for Arsenal, scoring twice.Rami Shaaban made his debut for Arsenal against PSV Eindhoven in November 2002.[14]Fabrice Muamba started two League Cup games for Arsenal in the 2005–06 season.[15]Anthony Stokes began his professional career with Arsenal, but never started in a first-team match for the club.
Players highlighted in bold are still actively playing at Arsenal.
Statistics correct as of match played 27 December 2024
List of Arsenal F.C. players with between 1 and 24 appearances
^A club located in the southern counties of England. Initially these were amateur clubs, as professionalism in football was not as readily accepted in the south as in the north. In the 1893–94 season, Arsenal (under its former name Woolwich Arsenal) turned professional and became the first southern club admitted to the northern-oriented Football League. The following year saw the creation of the Southern Football League, which was composed of amateur and professional teams. By the 1920–21 season, the top division of the Southern Football League was absorbed by the Football League, to create its third division.[1][2]
^Tricker was born in Karachi, British India (now Pakistan), but is considered a British citizen by descent under nationality law.
Clubs are grouped by their division in the 2024–25 season. Includes the Welsh clubs where lists have been created. 'POTY' = 'Player of the Year / Season'.
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