Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has backed calls for Arsene Wenger to receive an honorary knighthood for his services to British football.
Wenger managed his final game as Arsenal boss on Sunday after 22 years at the club and the Frenchman’s last day at the Gunners is set to be on Thursday when he clears his office at the London Colney training ground.
In 2003, Wenger was awarded an honorary OBE for his contribution to British football but Tory MP Huw Merriman now wants Wenger to receive even greater recognition of his career.
He said: "It should be no surprise that we’ve had a manager that’s come in from abroad, who we’ve embraced as one of our own and has taught us, and I would say he’s the best example of successful immigration in this country.
"I would like to hope that it’s thanks to him that immigration is widely proclaimed as doing fantastic things for this country.
"I’m proud that Arsene Wenger and the club that he built was built and washes its own face with the highest matchday revenue in the world and not, as he infamously put it, via financial doping from wealthy individuals based in countries with dubious records on human rights and worse.
"It’s my belief that it’s Arsene Wenger’s commitment to the core values of British sport and society which have caused me to apply for this debate.
"Some have asked why I made time to call a debate of this type when the trains don’t work in my constituency.
"I say to those people, we have plenty of time during the day in Parliament to talk about the things that don’t work, or could work better, and as you know Mr Speaker, I spend a lot of my time doing just that.
"But it’s also important for us to talk about success and celebrate success and the contributions that people make.
"Not when they leave us and go to the great stadium in the sky, but to do so whilst they’re still with us."
Corbyn, an Arsenal fan, added: "I’ve never forgotten taking a very large group of primary school children to Arsenal stadium one evening, and Arsene Wenger giving them a very interesting talk about how he learned English, how they should all learn foreign languages in order to create a more generous and more peaceful world.
"He has a wonderful ability to communicate with people of all ages and all footballing abilities."
Should Wenger receive the honour of a knighthood he would have the rank of Knight Commander (KBE) as he is a foreign national.
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