David "Rocky" Rocastle joined Arsenal as an apprentice in May 1983 at the tender age of 16. He rose through the ranks at Highbury before turning professional in December 1984 and then making his Arsenal debut against Newcastle United in September 1985. He was one of those rare players who seemed to excel in every facet of the game - tackling, shooting, passing, vision. David's gifts were recognised by the supporters' player of the year award in 1986, and at Wembly the following spring he collected his first major honour, playing an enterprising part in the Littlewood Cup defeat of Liverpool. Over the next two seasons, Rocky did not miss a League game, and was seen as the jewel in George Graham's 1988/89 Championship crown. At the end of the season, he was hailed as the Barclays Young Eagle of the Year. Despite a knee-injury restricting David to 18 league appearances in 1990-1991, he still took a central role in another Championship title win. In his final season at Highbury he made 43 appearances before transferring to Leeds United in 1992. During his Arsenal career, he played in 277 first-team games, scoring 34 goals. He also gained international recognition for England between 1988-1992, winning 14 full caps and although he did not score any goals he was never on the losing side. He was also capped 14 times for the Under-21's. continue reading