You may think that punching a supporter on the field does not sound like the smartest way for a young football player to start their career – but that is exactly what happened to Graham Stack.
Stack was only 20 and without a senior appearance to his name when Arsenal borrowed him on the Belgian side Beveren in 2002, but by the time he returned to North Londs the following year, he could certainly say that he knew what the men's football was about.
And although he played 30 times for Beevene that season, there was in particular one game that, perhaps surprisingly, turned out to be crucial in the mind of Arsene Wenger who entered the memorable Invincibles campaign of Gunners of 2003-04.
Speakingly on our podcast dedicated to football from the 2000s, the broken midfoot, says Stack: “I came back and felt like another player. I felt confidently. I not only was physically improved, but also the mental side of it is where Arsene Wenger went through.
“You are going to learn a new football philosophy, a new culture. There were so many elements to go abroad, so that I made a better person, more responsible, more independent and so on.
“So when I came back, had a successful season there, Arsene Wenger trusted me then. He knew I was willing to make sacrifices, that I had not only spent a year, I would also come back with a year of experience.
“And my reputation blew up at some point, I would not say for the wrong reasons, but for a pretty comical reason in terms of eliminating a supporter.
“So that also grabbed the headlines, not just my versions on the field.”
“It was just a crazy, crazy day,” says Stack about the game to Royal Antwerp.
“We won 3-1, but constantly I was hammered in the second half with objects, stones, coins, lighters, everything.
“It came on stage where there were only five minutes to go and I thought,” Right, I throw one back here, this makes me crazy. “
“So I thrown one back and it just burst out.
“There was steel screens at the front and I thought,” They don't get through that, “but then I looked to the right and there was a gate and the steward on the gate must have been 70.
“Before you know it, the ball is on the other side, I turned around and people are marching towards me. I think,” What have I done here, where is this going? “
“This big guy must be 6ft 4, wear a big leather jacket, and he came to me, curse at me. I think:” Do I just have to run away and save myself or do I try to confront this madness and leave my ground stand? “
“Your instincts kick in and I decided it in the front too, but another comes up and I think,” I'm in the minority, I'm in return. “
“Actually, the big guy, after he had given it the big one, no longer wanted to confront me, but this guy who had had far too much beer came in steaming and started throwing excavations.
“Of course you jump one back, and of course you let it fall on the floor. Then the next big one was not really looking forward to it and they all started to walk back.
“This happened within a few moments, but before you know it, there is riot police and the game is declared.”
It is not surprising that the news about the Escapades of Stack Wijd and Zijd traveled.
“After the game it was chaos,” he says. “I was in talk shows, I was at Jean-Marie Pfaff, who is famous in Belgium, the best keeper in the World Cup, I was on fly-on-the-wall documentaries, I was on Canal+, I was at all these different shows.
“It attracted everyone's attention because it was not the keeper Van Beveren, it was the Arsenal goalkeeper and everyone wanted to know how good he was.
“So then many people started to come to games in football, scouts and agents, which greatly benefited me because not many people knew that I was there at the time.
“Before you know it, it was a big stage for me and I had created that in that incident. I think if I would go there today, I didn't think I could buy a drink to this day. The way I was cared for was really incredible.”
Read more: History witness: Graham Stack about being the Arsenal Invincibles' Nr. 2
Stack also told us on the broken midfoot about breaking in Arsenal next to Cesc Fabregas, a penalty scored in a shooting on his debut in the League Cup against Rotherham, who got his chance as the dressing room DJ and his Werther's Originals seized by Wenger.
And Stack says that acting as a backup of Jens Lehmann was exactly as stressful that season as you could imagine for a young keeper who was sitting on the couch to make his Premier League debut.
“Can you imagine that you are a number 2 for Jens Lehmann?” he says. “I couldn't sit down, I couldn't relax because he throws balls at people, he drags people around the throat.
“I think,” He will certainly be sent away this season. ” And the longer the season was going on, you think: “You are going to put me so much pressure because we are unbeaten and have two games to go, you will lose your head and I will have to play.”
“We are defeated and it will be my fault. So can you stop taking the goat?!
“The tension goes in games and in games knowing that Jens can fly off the handle at any time is pretty scary.”
But the downside of Lehmann's character, and one that says Stack he ruled in the team was that he never rested on his laurels, even after Arsenal had dressed the title in White Hart Lane.
“I remember that Jens was stripped after the game because he had the feeling that he was to blame for the goal,” says Stack.
“Jens is in a noose, so I had to say,” Listen Jens, loving, we just won the competition. Come out and four. “
“But he wanted a clean slate. We won the Premier League, but he has the bump because he has not kept a clean slate.
“That was the standards that Jens set himself.”