Every Arsenal No4 from Premier League era as Ben White lands iconic shirt

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Eleven men have held the number four shirt for Arsenal since the Premier League era began, with Ben White set to become the 12th.

White completed his £50million move from Brighton on Friday, bringing an end to a summer-long pursuit from Mikel Arteta.

The shirt has spent most of the Premier League era in either central midfield or central defence, with a succession of captains holding the number.

It has not all been a success though, with several players suffering poor spell when wearing the number four.

Here, Daily Star Sport takes a look at White’s predecessors from the Premier League era…

Ian Selley

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The first holder of Arsenal’s number four shirt in the Premier League era was Ian Selley, who had graduated from the Gunners’ academy.

He would make only nine appearances in the top-flight that season though and eventually left for Fulham in 1997.

Nigel Winterburn

Nigel Winterburn was the next to be Arsenal’s number four, with the defender a key part of the Gunners’ back line.

He made 33 appearances for the Gunners in the season in which he held that number, before reverting back to ‘three’ for the remaining eight years of his Highbury career.

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Tony Adams

Having spent most of his Gunners career with the number six, Adams was handed the number four shirt for part of the 1993/1994 campaign.

He made 46 appearances in all competitions that season, captaining the Gunners to the European Cup Winners’ Cup.

Martin Keown

Adam’s partner at centre-back, Martin Keown, was also handed the number four for part of that campaign, his second season back at Arsenal.

Keown was also a key part of the Gunners’ defence, making 42 appearances in all competitions before moving to number 14.

Paul Davis

Paul Davis became the next to wear the famous shirt, holding the number four jersey across two seasons.

Davis was a key part of the Cup Winners’ Cup side, but gradually found his game time limited before departing in 1995.

Stefan Schwarz

Stefan Schwarz was the man who effectively replaced Davis, though the Swedish midfielder only spent one season with the club.

He made 45 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners before departing for Serie A side Fiorentina.

Patrick Vieira

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The next man to be the number four at Arsenal was also the most successful wearer of the jersey, with Patrick Vieira one of the key players under Arsene Wenger.

He held four during the entirety of his nine-year stay at Highbury, captaining the club to three Premier League titles and four FA Cups.

Cesc Fabregas

From one of the most successful number fours to one of the most talented, with Cesc Fabregas picking up the shirt one year after Viera’s departure.

It would stay with the Spaniard for the final five years of his Arsenal career, with Fabregas becoming captain before he left for Barcelona.

Per Mertesacker

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The number four shirt at Arsenal appears to hold a link to captains of the club, with Per Mertesacker becoming skipper five years after joining the club.

He was a mainstay in the Gunners defence during his seven-year stay at the Emirates Stadium, winning three FA Cups before retiring in 2018.

Mohamed Elneny

The shirt moved back to midfield upon Mertesacker’s retirement, through Mohamed Elneny.

But the Egyptian would make just 17 appearances for the Gunners in that number before he moving to 25 upon his return from a loan spell at Besiktas.

William Saliba

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He may have been handed the number four, but William Saliba is yet to make a senior appearance in it for the Gunners.

The defender is out of favour under Mikel Arteta and has been sent back to Ligue 1 for a loan spell at Marseille, with White taking his number at the Gunners.

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  • Premier League
  • Arsenal FC

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