Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira

Few footballers can dream of being adored by a fanbase quite like Patrick Vieira is by Arsenal’s. Sixteen years on from his departure, they still sing his song.

Vieira won three Premier League titles and four FA Cups with Arsenal – the last three of those seven major trophies coming as captain, including of the revered ‘Invincibles’ team of 2003-04.

He returns to the club for the first time as a manager with Crystal Palace on tonight, Vieira can have every right to feel aggrieved at how Arsenal have treated him in the years since that last title.

Vieira was sold to Juventus for £13.75m in a deal sanctioned by Wenger. The Frenchman accepted the move

He scored the winning penalty in the 2005 FA Cup final shootout win over Manchester United with his last kick of a ball for Arsenal – they would not win another trophy for nine years.

Vieira returned to Arsenal three times as a player before he retired, earning standing ovations each time. In his only season with Juventus, Arsenal won 2-0 at Highbury in March 2006. Later that year, he played for an Arsenal Legends team at the opening of the Emirates for Dennis Bergkamp’s testimonial. He could have been forgiven for wondering what might have been that day. Finally, he returned with Manchester City in April 2010, earning a moving send-off when he was substituted in the second half.

Vieira’s move to City in January 2010 saw Arsenal miss another opportunity to harness the powers of their club legend, who had made no secret of his desire to return to England when Jose Mourinho no longer wanted him at Inter.

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Of all the sleights against Vieira from Arsenal since 2005, perhaps none are more symbolic than the absence of a statue of one of their greatest captains at the Emirates – the stadium which his leadership and sale helped pay for.

Three statues were unveiled in 2011 of former manager Herbert Chapman, former captain Tony Adams and record goalscorer Thierry Henry – only Adams (10) won more trophies than Vieira’s seven, with Chapman winning just three and Henry four.

Three years later, statues of Bergkamp and long-serving director Ken Friar were also erected. Still no sign of Invincibles captain and serial trophy-winner Vieira. In fact, the only place he can be seen at the stadium is in a mural of 32 legends that wraps around the stadium. All that can be seen is his back.

Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira

Vieira has been strongly linked with the Arsenal job both times it has become available in the last three years, though he was eventually overlooked on each occasion for Unai Emery and tonight’s opponent Mikel Arteta.

Once he has lapped up the rapturous ovation from the adoring Arsenal fans tonight, Vieira has the chance to prove those who run the club were wrong. On so many counts.