Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, has paid tribute to Abou Diaby, after the former Arsenal player announced his retirement from football. Diabyplayed for eight-and-a-half years in the colours of Arsenal.Althoughtheeight-and-a-half years were marred by injury spells of different spans. The Frenchman accumulated just 182 appearances for the Gunners in that spell, with only 92 of them being a premier League start. He suffered fromdifferent injuries, includingAnkle, calf, thigh and cruciate ligament. Diaby suffered while at Arsenal, but he was always a popular figure in the club.
At the age of 32, the midfielder has called time on his injury hit career. Arsene Wenger brought him to the Emirates from Auxerre in a £2million deal in 2006, he suffered a broken ankle against Sunderland at the end of the 2005/06 season, just five months after joining the London based club. This was what set the tone for Diaby's injury nightmare at the Emirates. He did not make his comeback until January 2007 and suffered injury upon injury thereafter.