Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown paid tribute to Alex Manninger after the goalkeeper died at the age of 48. Manninger spent five seasons at Highbury between 1997 and 2002. He served as the primary deputy to David Seaman. The Austrian international played a vital role in the 1997-98 Double winning season, per Sky Sports. He kept six consecutive clean sheets during that campaign while Seaman was injured.
Manninger also played for clubs including Juventus, Fiorentina, and Augsburg during a long career. He earned 33 caps for the Austria national team before retiring from professional football in 2017. Keown described Manninger as one of the greatest unsung heroes in the history of the North London club, according to The Guardian. The former defender noted that the goalkeeper's contributions during the title run-in were essential to the team's success. Manninger made 64 appearances for the Gunners in all competitions before joining Fiorentina on loan and later moving to Espanyol.
