Limpar: Graham ‘like Saddam’

Former Arsenal star Anders Limpar has claimed working under his old Arsenal boss George Graham was “like living in Iraq under Saddam [Hussein]”.

Swedish winger Limpar spent four years at Highbury, winning the title in 1991 and also collecting four other honours, before leaving North London in 1994.

Limpar recalled: “George Graham’s regime was like living in Iraq under Saddam. He sold me in April with my contract running out in May. I said: ‘I’d like to carry on playing for Arsenal and sign a new deal,’ to which he replied: ‘No, you are not.’ “So I said: ‘But I’ve won so many titles in four years for you, is that not enough?’ So we went in to his office and I had my agent with me and Graham is talking and says: ‘I have a really good offer from Man City so you are going there.’

“So I realised that I was leaving the club, extended my hand to shake his hand and said: ‘Well, thanks for four years then.’ And then he just swivelled round on his chair and stared into the wall. So after four years he did not even shake my hand.” Limpar ended up joining Everton rather than City, winning the FA Cup in 1995. He retired from football in 2001.