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Cape Town - Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny has leapt to the defence of head coach Arsene Wenger claiming success should not just be measured by silverware.
The France international defender has blossomed into a world class developed centre-back under the tutelage of Wenger since being plucked from relative obscurity, after one season in the French top-flight with Lorient.
The initial £4 million signing drew skepticism from the Gunners faithful but now in his seventh season, the 31-year-old, who also serves as the club's vice captain, is a testament to Wenger's to identify and develop talent.
Despite winning two FA Cups in the last three seasons, there's been calls from fans for the 67-year-old to step down due to his failure of securing the Premier League title since 2004.
"You may say that we haven't won the title for a long time, but he has not just built players, he's built men too. Every player who has played for Arsenal has grown here and has become a man," he told the club's website.
"It's a big number (of players). For me and the others, it's a good opportunity to be with him and learn from him. He's passionate about football. He loves football and he loves to watch his team play well with the ball.
"That's why he's here again after 20 years. Along with a lot of people, he's helped this club grow with a new stadium, a new training ground, and he built the platform for us to compete for the Premier League and Champions League every year."
