Fabregas - I am inspired by 'amazing' Adams

By Declan Taylor

Cesc Fabregas will take inspiration from Tony Adams as he bids to captain Arsenal to their first silverware since 2005.

Like Fabregas, Arsenal legend Adams was 21 when he was handed the captain’s armband by then manager George Graham. ‘Mr Arsenal’ went on to captain the side for 14 years, becoming the first skipper in English football to secure League titles in three different decades (1988/89, 1997/98 and 2001/02).

Although Fabregas admits that achieving just half of what Adams did as the captain would be ‘amazing’, he was keen to highlight the importance of forging his own path with the armband.

“From what people say he was amazing,” said the 21-year-old after Tuesday’s victory over Dynamo Kyiv. “I never really saw him play because I was too young but from what people say he was amazing and everybody says amazing things about him.

“Hopefully one day - not so much be like him, because I like to be my own player and person - but of course I want to achieve the things that he achieved.”

“I want to lift a trophy. At the end of the season we will see what we can achieve. At the moment we are in all of the competitions, people can say whatever they want about the title race but we have only played 14 games. It is not over yet and it is up to us to finish where we will finish. We will see, at the moment nothing is done and we will fight until the end.”

After suffering their fifth Premier League defeat of the season on Saturday, many questioned Arsenal’s ability to overcome the 10-point gap between them and leaders Chelsea and suggested that the Champions League was a more realistic aim for the Gunners. Not so according to Fabregas.

“Well Europe is a different game to the Premier League,” said the midfielder. “All the teams in the League know that they have to defend a lot and put pressure on us all the time, it is as if all week they train on only defending.

“Of course in the Champions League it is a little bit different, teams like to play a bit more and come out a bit more. Maybe it is true that it suits us a little bit more but as I said, if you want to win something you must be able to play against anybody.”

[Wednesday, November 26, 2008]