Arsenal legend Ray Parlour explains why he NEVER would’ve celebrated if he scored against the Gunners
Matt Ritchie and Ryan Babel netted against their former clubs on the weekend
Arsenal legend Ray Parlour admits he never would have celebrated if he scored against the Gunners.
The Premier League saw two players net against former clubs on the weekend, as Matt Ritchie struck at the death to deny Bournemouth and Ryan Babel equalised against Liverpool.
While Fulham’s Babel chose not to celebrate, Newcastle’s Ritchie wheeled away and held his arms aloft before seeming to change his mind.
The Scot, who helped the Cherries earn promotion from the Championship in 2015 and was given a warm ovation by the Vitality Stadium faithful, suddenly stopped celebrating as if the emotion of the moment got the better of him.
Sports Breakfast co-host Parlour spent 20 years at Arsenal and recalls conflicting emotions when he played against his beloved club for the first time.
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“You try and have a good game for the team you play for,” he said. “It’s an awkward one because you still want to score.
“I left after the unbeaten season and went to Highbury with Middlesbrough three games into the new season.
“I remember it being really weird going into the away dressing room. We went 3-1 up and we were the team who were going to stop the unbeaten run.
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“I remember walking past Denis Bergkamp and saying, ‘Come on Denis, liven up!’ Then he nutmegged me and we lost 5-3.
“If I scored, I wouldn’t have celebrated. I had been at the club so long.
“I started there when I was 11-years old and left at 31. In that respect, Arsenal’s my club.”