Former Arsenal winger Jermaine Pennant has revealed he netted a debut hattrick whilst under the influence of alcohol in the game that sparked their iconic 'Invincibles' run.
Pennant, 37, retired from football in 2017 in a career that never quite reached the potential he displayed as a teenager during his days at the Gunners.
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Alcohol abuse was one of the many contributing factors to his downfall but over his senior career that spanned over two decades, he represented the likes of Leeds United, Liverpool, Birmingham and Stoke City in the Premier League.
Reflecting back to his early days under Arsene Wenger, when the Frenchman sanctioned a record £2-million transfer for a then 15-year-old Pennant, he opened up about his incredible debut for the club.
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"I'd been out the night before and had a big night, because I really didn't think I would be playing, never mind starting the game," he told Four Four Two.
"I'd never started a game for Arsenal and I didn't think that'd change, especially as Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg and Ray Parlour were all in the squad. I was guaranteed to be on the bench.
"I thought, 'Sod it', went to an FHM party and got home at around 6-AM. I couldn't believe it when I saw my name in the starting line-up! I was still so hungover when I was playing; I just did everything in my power not to embarrass myself."
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The former England youth international spent three seasons at the club before eventually making his league debut and he concedes that the hat-trick against Southampton of his full league debut left him astonished.
"I can't believe I scored. It was just a huge relief – I thought, 'OK, you can take me off now. Please, Arsene!' I felt so sick and I could feel the vodka still bouncing around in my stomach. You could smell it on my breath, too," he admits.
"I did OK to score a hat-trick: it shows I had talent, though it helps when you're playing with Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira. That was the first game of Arsenal's 49-game unbeaten run."
The technically gifted winger went on to score 14 goals and register 24 assists in 231 games in the English top-flight.