Tomas Rosicky rang Arsenal up to leave farewell message to fans after announcing retirement

Rosicky says farewell to the Emirates in May 2016
Arsenal FC via Getty Images
James Benge20 December 2017

Tomas Rosicky says it was an honour to represent Arsenal after announcing his retirement from football at the age of 37.

The Czech Republic great spent 10 years in north London but suffered a string of major injuries throughout his career that limited him to 247 appearances for Arsene Wenger’s side.

However Rosicky was unquestionably a cult figure in north London, beloved for the ability to dictate a midfield that earned him the nickname “Little Mozart”. It seems the affection was mutual.

Rosicky made a call to Arsenal soon after announcing his retirement to leave one final message for supporters, in which he said: “For one last time, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at Arsenal Football Club.

“For me, it’s a fantastic club and it was always an honour for me to play for Arsenal. I always had a special bond with the fans. Every time I played, they knew that I was playing for the shirt.

“I always played for the shirt because it was an honour for me to represent such a great club like Arsenal. One thing is for sure, I’m a Gunner forever.”

After leaving Arsenal in 2016 – his team-mates all wore his No.7 shirt in their final game of the season – Rosicky re-joined boyhood club Sparta Prague but was unable to overcome the injuries that had plagued him in north London.

“My body has been telling me for a long time that it doesn’t want to do it anymore, but the mind was always there to win, to keep playing and to keep pushing forward,” he said.

The 37-year-old left Arsenal with two FA Cups to his name and played a crucial role in the 2014 win, a victory which ended Wenger’s nine-year wait for a trophy.

Rosicky’s introduction in the second-half of extra-time helped propel Arsenal towards a 3-2 win over Hull, securing his first trophy as an Arsenal player.

“There’s a regret that we didn’t win the Premier League, but after such a long time, it was a great moment. For the fans as well, the connection between the players and the fans that day was absolutely amazing.

“I always loved to play for Arsene Wenger and for his vision of how football should be played. It was absolutely great.”

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