Martin Keown was given one of the biggest cheers of the night at the Emirates on Wednesday as the Arsenal legend laughed off an awful attempt at skill.
The 57-year-old is well-loved by the Gunners faithful after he made 483 appearances for the club and winning three Premier League titles during a hugely successful career.
But, his own supporters couldn’t help but mock Keown’s effort when he tried to show the 60k Emirates crowd that he still had it. Only when it mattered most, he didn’t.
The light-hearted incident was celebrated by Declan Rice in the post-match interview after Arsenal dominated in a 2-0 victory against Sevilla in the Champions League.
Rice and Keown stood shoulder-to-shoulder as the replays focussed on Keown trying to control the match ball that had bounced in his direction as the referee blew the full time whistle.
Declan Rice playfully mocked Martin Keown after Arsenal’s Champions League win on Wednesday
Gunners legend Keown was caught on camera as he unsuccessfully tried to control a wayward ball at the Emirates
Rice and Keown analysed the poor moment of ball control in a post-match interview at the Emirates
The Arsenal veteran lifts his right-foot in a bid to cushion the ball but instead his touch pops it up in the air and the second effort to get hold of it didn’t go any better.
Keown stretches but can only get his toes to the ball while his rucksack falls down his arm and the Arsenal supporters nearby rise off their feet to jest with their former player.
Rice – like Keown’s co-pundits – found the demonstration hilarious and poked fun, stating on TNT Sports: ‘He ain’t lost it…oh no’.
Keown happily takes on board the criticism from his colleagues and playfully explains that he blames his smart footwear for his poor control.
He explains: ‘I’m not happy with my touch. I’m looking a bit ragged to be fair. There’s too much polish on my shoes’.
Keown offered a hilarious explanation for his touch and claimed there was ‘too much polish’ on his shoes
Rio Ferdinand joined in while watching along, quipping: ‘You needed the red Pumas didn’t you?’. Keown retorted: ‘I did, I couldn’t play without them’.
The camera flashes back to Rice who has a wry smile on his face after seeing the mishap happen for the first time as he analysed Arsenal’s successful evening in Europe’s premier cup competition.
The England international starred again for Mikel Arteta’s side as Leandro Trossard and Bukayo Saka both scored to give Arsenal a four-point cushion at the top of their Champions League group.
However, there was concern for Saka after he hobbled off during the match before it was later revealed that the injury wasn’t thought to be serious.
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