He may not quite have done enough during his time in North London to be regarded a legend by Arsenal supporters, but Sylvain Wiltord did score one of the most important goals in the club's recent history.
The Frenchman's association with the Gunners started 15 years ago today when he finalised his switch from Bordeaux.
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It had been a long drawn-out affair, with the Ligue 1 outfit demanding around £15m for a player that only weeks earlier had scored an injury-time equaliser for France in the Euro 2000 final that they would go on to win thanks to David Trezeguet's golden goal.
Although Arsenal never officially revealed the fee, it was reported that in the end around £13m changed hands, which made the 26-year-old the club's record signing.
Speaking about his new capture, manager Arsene Wenger said: "He's very mobile and can play as a target man. I can't imagine Thierry Henry playing 70 games a season, it would destroy him. He can play on the flanks, so he's really offensively multi-functional."
While Wenger was delighted to have landed his man, Bordeaux were not quite as impressed.
"We had long hoped Wiltord would be a man of his word but as he does not have any intention of respecting his obligations and engagements there is no longer a place at the club for a guy like that," said club president Jean-Louis Triaud.
"To have to lose Wiltord is a disappointment in sporting terms. We will miss his talent. But on the human level a lad who does not keep his word has no place at the club."
Wiltord would spend four years at Highbury, but for much of his stint he would be in the shadow of fellow centre-forward and countryman Henry, who was starting to grow in stature.
In total, Wiltord scored 49 goals in 175 appearances for Arsenal, while during the same time period Henry found the net on 125 occasions from his 208 outings.
Nevertheless, the goal that he scored at Old Trafford in May 2002 will forever be remembered by Arsenal fans.
When Manchester United goalkeeper Fabien Barthez parried Freddie Ljungberg's initial shot, Wiltord was on hand to turn in the rebound for the only goal of the game, which sealed the Premier League and FA Cup double.
Liam Apicella
