Prior to Arséne Wenger’s arrival as manager in 1996, Arsenal were not known for playing attractive and attacking football.
Former incumbent George Graham had instead built a legacy based on scoring a goal before defending it with every fiber of Arsenal’s being. Seaman, Dixon, Winterburn, Adams and Bould the granite solid foundations that made it possible.
“Boring, boring Arsenal” was sung all over the country, but it did not apply to a player, signed in 1982, who operated with a completely different frequency.
20 years have passed, but we will never forget you.
Now, always and forever, we will be #RememberingRocky ❤️ pic.twitter.com/3oECSXDDzU
– Arsenal (@Arsenal) 31 March 2021
David Rocastle had a combination of skill, technique and athleticism that had never been seen before on the Highbury terraces.
Rocky was not only a player with exemplary football ability but he was a beloved teammate, a fighter on the pitch and a gentle soul away from it – one who left an indelible mark in north London.
An Arsenal man through and through, Rocastle was part of the ’82 academy class that included Tony Adams, Martin Keown and Michael Thomas. One of, if not the largest set of football players the club has produced in a group.
It did not take long for Rocastle to make an impression.
Arsenal and Tottenham observed an impeccable minute of silence during the 2001 derby in north London – played the day Rocastle passed away | Craig Prentis / Getty Images
“We have a boy who may be Brazilian … and he’s from Lewisham,” David Dein, the club’s vice president, told his wife excitedly in 1983.
Rocastle quickly became a starter and broke into the team during the 1984/85 season and played 26 times as a fearless 18-year-old. Arsenal’s drive to the League Cup final pushed Rocastle further into the spotlight, as he put a winner at the last minute away at Tottenham in the second leg of the semi-final to send the Gunners through.
Dein pointed out that the cheers from the fans were so exaggerated, not only because the club had beaten their rivals, but “because one of their own boys had done so.”
Rocastle played with a freedom not associated with English football in the 1980s. Technical skill and dribbling were always his first thoughts, with Wenger – who arrived as manager after leaving the club – saying that Rocastle was “a modern player as the revolution in the game has moved on to more technology and more skill.”
In 1988 he was on England’s radar and Rocky became a full international after coming in as a replacement against Denmark.
Arsenal won in Liverpool to claim the title 88/89 in the First Division | Getty Images / Getty Images
During the iconic 1988/89 season, a youthful Arsenal side went to Anfield on the final day of the season and needed to win by two clear goals. This was a Liverpool that had dominated English football and it was assumed that the Reds would win again to become champions.
After 57 minutes, a couple of quick and successful challenges followed by a shot from just outside the penalty area by Ronnie Whelan might have resulted in another goal for Liverpool. Rocastle, upset by the action, shouted aggressively and shook his fist in the direction of the Liverpool captain.
Arsenal would then score their first goal of the match, a nod from Alan Smith, and Rocastle’s burning reaction became a defining moment when fans across England saw Rocky’s passion burst.
When the time was up, the Gunners still needed a goal and with Arsenal’s last attack, Lee Dixon hit the ball forward. Smith took the ball fantastically down before playing a lovely chipped pass over the top for Michael Thomas to run on to.
A split second later, the ball was past Bruce Grobbelaar and embedded in the back of Liverpool’s net. 2-0, Anfield silenced and the match ended. Arsenal’s approximate group of youngsters had disturbed the odds, won the title and Rocastle were at the center.
It is 20 years today since the tragic death of Arsenal legend David Rocastle
To celebrate his incredible life on and off the field, we live premiere ????? & ???????: ???? ???????? ?? ??? ??? ???? tonight at 7pm on YouTube
RIP Rocky ❤️
– Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 31, 2021
Rocastle won the Barclays Young Eagle Award for the second season in a row and looked set to become a star.
Arsenal would win the First Division title again in 1990/91, this time at a gallop, but Rocky suffered a knee injury. It was then that the club’s physio discovered a chronic and long-term problem that would continue to get worse.
That year, Rocky’s childhood friend Ian Wright also bought the club, and the two fulfilled a lifelong dream of playing professional football together.
But their hopes of a long and prosperous professional relationship vanished when Leeds made Arsenal a lucrative offer they could not refuse. With injuries a problem, the Gunners accepted – although Graham admitted that selling Rocastle “was the hardest decision” he had ever had.
“I was sitting in my car crying. Playing for Arsenal was all I ever wanted to do,” Rocastle later admitted.
? 277 matches⚽️ 34 goals? 2 first division titles? 1 league cup
David Rocastle: an Arsenal legend forever in our hearts ❤️ pic.twitter.com/SPPZyq3dTu
– Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 31, 2018
His career would continue not only in Leeds, but Manchester City and Chelsea further down. Knee problems, however, were a continuing thorn in his side, and Rocastle would never fulfill the potential he had shown as a brilliant young midfielder.
Tragically, Rocastle was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in October 2000 – less than a year after retirement. a particularly aggressive form of cancer that killed his life in March 2001. He was 33.
Rocastle was so respected by the football community that tribalism took the back seat to honor his passing. A minute’s silence was impeccably observed ahead of the North London derby – which randomly took place on the day of his death – and the respect shown by Spurs supporters showed that he was in the game.
Rocastle was a gentleman, fan and incredible football player – and is someone who will never, ever be forgotten.
