Tony Adams

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Lore & Background

With Arsenal, uniquely he captained a title-winning team in three different decades, won three FA Cups, two Football League Cups, a UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and two FA Community Shields. Adams is one of six people honoured with a statue outside the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal's home ground. He won 66 caps for England between 1987 and 2000 and played at four major tournaments. From early in his career Adams was an alcoholic. He was sentenced to four months in prison for driving while four times over the limit for blood alcohol, after crashing his car. From 1996 he recovered completely and became involved in helping sportspeople with drink, drug or gambling addictions by founding the Sporting Chance Clinic.

In Their Own Story

On a Sunday evening in early 1996, Adams hit rock bottom. Aged 29 and injured that February, he found himself unable to 'do life' without football. He drank seven bottles of Chablis, leading his mother-in-law to take the children away. This moment marked the turning point for a man who had been battling alcoholism since the mid-1980s, having previously crashed his car in Rayleigh and served four months in prison starting December 1990. With help from a mentor he named only as 'James W', Adams became one of the UK's most high-profile recovering alcoholics. Six weeks into his sobriety, Arsène Wenger arrived at Arsenal in October 1996. The manager understood the dangers of alcohol, having grown up with parents who ran a pub. Adams rewarded this understanding by leading the club to unprecedented success under the new system. His battle was chronicled in his critically acclaimed autobiography, Addicted, released in May 1998, proving that his legacy extended far beyond the pitch.

Reader's Guide

Adams signed for Arsenal as a schoolboy in 1980, and made his first-team debut on 5 November 1983 against Sunderland, aged 17. He accidentally put his shorts on back-to-front before the match. Then, with virtually his first touch of the ball during the game, he gave it away, leading to Sunderland's opening goal. He put the ball into the opponents' net, but the goal was disallowed. Adams became a regular player in the 1986–87 season, winning his first major trophy that season when playing in the Football League Cup Final win over Liverpool at Wembley. On 1 January 1988, he became Arsenal captain at the age of 21, remaining as club captain for the next 14 years until his retirement. Together with Lee Dixon, Nigel Winterburn and Steve Bould, Adams was part of the "famous back four". In 1992–93 Adams was the captain of the first English side to win the League Cup and FA Cup double. In 1994, Adams led Arsenal to their first European trophy in 24 years by defeating Parma 1–0 in the 1994 European Cup Winners' Cup final. Six weeks into Adams's sobriety, Arsène Wenger arrived as Arsenal manager in October 1996. Adams captained the club to two Premiership and FA Cup Doubles, in 1997–98 and 2001–02. In August 2002, just before the start of the 2002–03 season, Adams retired from professional football, his last match being the 2002 FA Cup Final. He played 674 matches for Arsenal.

Did You Know?

• Adams made his England debut against Spain in 1987 and was the first player to represent England who had been born after the 1966 World Cup win.
• He was sentenced to four months in prison on 19 December 1990 for drink-driving, and was freed after half of his sentence on 15 February 1991.
• His autobiography Addicted was released in May 1998 to critical acclaim.
• Adams's last match at Wembley Stadium was England's World Cup qualifier against Germany in October 2000, his 60th Wembley appearance, a record.