Former Arsenal right-back Emmanuel Eboue has revealed that fans’ booing him off in that infamous game against Wigan in 2008 made him cry and not want to come into training.
The Ivorian endured a nightmare cameo as a substitute that day, with Arsene Wenger eventually taking him off again as he performed so badly.
Eboue, however, feels harshly singled out as Arsenal generally had a bad game against Wigan that day, though they still ran out 1-0 winners at the Emirates Stadium.
Speaking years later, the 33-year-old has opened up about how that game made him feel.
‘I was very surprised by that reaction of the fans,’ Eboue told the Daily Telegraph. The whole team was playing bad that day but we still won 1-0. All of us played badly. I don’t know why it was only me.
‘When you are a footballer and your own fans boo you, it’s very bad, your confidence goes. After that happened I said to Arsene Wenger, “I don’t want to come in any more for training because I feel bad”.
‘I got back home and I was crying. But the same week some of the fans came to the club to say sorry to me about that. That was very nice. It meant a lot. “Eboue, don’t listen,” they said. “You know we love you.”‘
COMMENTS