The former Arsenal record goal scorer was talking to the Telegraph about the Kroenkes: “This club belongs to the fans, I love the club and I will support the club until I die, but I do not recognise my club and what happened just now, with them trying to join a league that would have been closed, makes no sense to me.

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“They have been running the club like a company, not a football club, and they showed their hand. Maybe it’s a lack of understanding of the core football values and maybe the money was too big of a temptation. But whatever it was, they got it wrong. Badly wrong.

“I was genuinely shocked like most people and couldn’t believe what was unfolding. I have never talked before, but what happened recently made me realise fans, this is your club. It is your club and I’m an Arsenal fan too. I’m proud of what the fans achieved. Not just Arsenal fans, all the fans. The result was a victory for football.

“Fans always decide, as you saw with the ESL. You have to listen to the fans and I can understand why they protested.

“The ESL didn’t happen because of the fans. Not only me, you and the fans said it was wrong, they (the owners) also said it was wrong. They showed their hand and that was disappointing.