GiveMeSport
·27 January 2022
Abou Diaby's Arsenal highlights at just 19 years old show what a special talent he was

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·27 January 2022
Abou Diaby's football career was blighted by injuries.
After breaking through at Auxerre as a teenager, Diaby made the move to Arsenal in a £2 million deal in January 2006.
Despite being just 19 years old, Diaby was instantly thrust into the first-team and adapted quickly to life in the Premier League.
However, a serious injury sustained in May 2006 kick-started a series of injuries which curtailed his progress.
Diaby spent a total of nine years at Arsenal but only managed to make 180 appearances and score 19 goals for the club.
Diaby joined Marseille 2015 but his injury problems continued and he would eventually retire from football four years later at the age of just 32.
The Frenchman is still highly thought of at Arsenal.
Diaby always gave his all when he was on the pitch and he always performed at a high level.
A video has now emerged on Twitter which shows just how good Diaby was.
@Souster98_YT has posted a compilation of Diaby's highlights at Arsenal during the 2005/06 season.
The midfielder was just 19 years old at the time and had just moved from France to England. But he took to a new country like a duck to water.
He was a special talent and you can view the two-minute clip below...
Diaby is compared to Patrick Vieira in the clip and you can see why.
He possessed wonderful technical ability, was strong and regularly embarked on lung-busting runs through the middle of midfield.
It's such a shame that Diaby had such a tough time with injuries.
By the time he hung up his boots in 2019, he had played in just 214 professional matches.
It's a bold statement, but if he stayed injury-free, Diaby could well have been established himself as one of the best midfielders the Premier League has ever seen.