Arsenal legend Ray Parlour has recalled the amusing moment Marc Overmars used a fart machine during a team meeting that left Arsene Wenger completely speechless
Arsene Wenger’s composed and measured management style at Arsenal has consistently earned acclaim throughout the years. Le Professeur’s arrival in 1996 signalled a transformation for the Gunners, revolutionising both their playing philosophy and the squad’s conduct away from it.
The team immediately embraced his groundbreaking methods at the time, despite it meaning the end of the alcohol-fuelled ‘Tuesday Club’ tradition – something legendary midfielder Ray Parlour was intimately familiar with.
The Frenchman’s authority demanded respect, meaning he seldom had to elevate his voice. Yet this occasionally led to some rather undignified behaviour from his players.
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Dutch winger Overmars was recruited by Wenger in 1997 and departed for Barcelona three years later. However, under a different manager, that period might have been drastically shortened following a cheeky flatulence prank, according to his former teammate Parlour.
Speaking on behalf of AceOdds, Parlour exclusively told Daily Star Sport: “I remember, believe it or not, little Marc Overmars had a fart machine in his pocket in one of the team meetings and he kept pushing the button.”
“All you heard was [fart noises] and it was like ‘what’s going on?'”
Remarkably, the manager’s tolerance saw him dismiss the misconduct, with Parlour adding: “Wenger said nothing in the end. Little Marc Overmars was a little prankster.”
Even for Parlour, this was a step too far. He once famously tricked the Gunners boss into believing that new recruit Igors Stepanovs was a top-notch player, having consistently sung his praises in an effort to wind up teammate Martin Keown.
Keown, who was always wary of losing his spot in the team to a new centre-back, was left seething when the dreadful Stepanovs was signed on a four-year contract.
“I don’t think I had the bottle to do that. I mean, if it was George Graham, you wouldn’t do that to George,” Parlour commented on Overmars’ antics. “I think Arsene Wenger was always a little bit more relaxed.
“I was always respectful to my managers. You can have a laugh with your teammates, but with managers, you’ve got to be careful.
“If you get on the wrong side of them, they won’t play you. Simple as that.”