Former Chelsea and Arsenal footballer Emmanuel Petit was the guest of honour on Monday Night Football but got his wires crossed when he wrongly believed a Gunners star had gone away
Emmanuel Petit was corrected live on air after wrongly announcing that Arsenal hero Pat Rice had passed away on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football.
The Frenchman was the studio guest on Monday night, as he watched his old team Chelsea beat Wolves 3-1 at Stamford Bridge. But away from the Blues, Petit also got the opportunity to reflect about his time with their London rivals Arsenal.
The former midfielder was signed by Arsene Wenger in 1997 from Monaco, going on to make over 100 appearances and winning the Premier League and FA Cup. Nevertheless, it would appear that there were some wires that were crossed somewhere along the route since the departure from North London.
“He had some fights with Pat Rice as well, rest in peace Pat,” Petit stated in response to a question about his recollections of his time spent at Highbury. He made a reference to Pat Rice, a legend of the Arsenal football club.
Thankfully, Rice, who is 75 years old, is still alive. This is a fact that Sky Spots host David Jones took care to relay with the audience as he apologised live during the broadcast. He made the following statement: “I have some good news, Pat Rice sends his best.” Indeed, he is still here among us at this time. Yes, he is still alive and well.
In response to the clarification, fellow studio guest Jamie Carragher let out a chuckle, and Petit apologised in a grovelling manner while simultaneously expressing relief. “I’m sorry!” he said. I’m sorry, Pat. My mind is a mess. Oh, Pat, I am very sad. “I’m sorry, Pat, I completely messed up.”
As a former defender for Arsenal, Rice is a renowned figure in the club’s history. The guy from Northern Ireland spent his childhood in London and even worked at a grocery store that was located not too far from the Gunners’ previous residence in Higbury.
Eventually, he made his debut for Arsenal in 1967, and during the course of his thirteen-year career, he played more than five hundred games for the club. In 1971, Rice was victorious in both the First Division and the FA Cup. Some years later, he added another FA Cup to his collection before moving on to Watford.
On the other hand, his affiliation with Arsenal did not come to a stop there. In 1984, he returned to the club as a junior coach. He soon became the caretaker of the senior team, and he was also appointed as Arsene Wenger’s assistant. It was during this time that he would come into contact with Petit.
Rice would finally leave the club for a second time in 2012, and Wenger praised him for the wonderful contribution he had made to the club during his time there. During that time, he made the following statement: “Pat is a real Arsenal legend and has committed practically his entire life to Arsenal Football Club, which demonstrates a tremendous amount of passion and commitment to our club…
He has provided me with invaluable knowledge into Arsenal and football in general, and I will be eternally grateful to him for that. Pat has always been a colleague who has been enthusiastic, devoted, and perceptive, and he will most certainly be missed by all of us, both on the training grounds and on matchdays.