Dear Arsenal,
Our story started a long time ago. I was a young footballer, 17 years old and sharing a pitch with heroes I’d seen lift the Champions League trophy for the first time. Kelly Smith, Alex Scott, Karen Carney, Rachel Yankey, Anita Asante, Faye White, Jayne Ludlow…these are legendary names that meant so much back then and mean even more now.
The club gave me something: perspective, gratitude, inspiration. My dreams came alive.
Arsenal still gives me that.
To me, football has always been about people, life, and seeing it come together on the grass. How players combine, how they move, how the ball moves – it’s beautiful. The game is growing so fast, but I want to stay close to its essence: connection.
Moving forward as a collective is what drives me. Young players breaking through, working together with experienced players and staff, some who have been moving the game forward long before I joined the club. Our goal is to honour the work of people before us and continue that legacy.
Sharing these moments is what makes me so proud to be at Arsenal. What we stand for off the pitch and our connection with you, the supporters, is so special. I feel gratitude every time I walk through the tunnel and see that sea of red and white.
I look at the Champions League final, that day in Lisbon when everybody – players, staff, supporters – was at their best. We were prepared, every detail was right and we knew how to tackle every scenario. That memory will stay with me forever. But I believe it was only the beginning of what we can do together.
My ambition is that we can continue to achieve our way, the Arsenal way. This is a club that’s so rich with history, but we will always be hungry for more. That makes me so excited for the future.
That future starts now.
Best wishes,
Renée Slegers
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