Adams to undergo knee scan as he considers Arsenal future
Stephen Wood
Tony Adams will meet Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger after undergoing a scan on a knee injury as he considers whether to call time on his illustrious career.
An emotional Adams refused to be drawn on whether he might stay for another season at the English double-winners despite a capacity Highbury crowd chanting "one more season" as the 35-year-old left the pitch following his testimonial match against Celtic on Monday.
The former England captain's decision has been complicated by the knee problem which he suffered in the FA Cup final victory over Chelsea on May 4.
"I need my knee checked out," he told reporters after the 1-1 draw with the Scottish premier league champions. "I will have a scan on Tuesday, see the doctor on Wednesday and I will know more after that.
"It's a concern, and it would be silly to make a (rash) decision now.
"Arsene is going to the World Cup and I'm going away soon, so we will sit down and have a chat beforehand.
"In fact, he keeps coming up to me and saying 'we need to have a talk'...I expect him to be honest with me, he always has been.
"But (ultimately) I need to get away from this environment, to relax, and make my decision then.
"I want to be fair to everyone concerned. The fans don't want to see an average Tony Adams out there, and I don't want to be mediocre and full of injuries -- I'm too proud for that."
The odds are that Adams, who has spent 19 seasons at Arsenal, will retire. He spent much of this season overcoming a foot operation and, despite returning in time to help propel the club towards the premier league and Cup double, he missed the last two league games with the knee problem.
The crowd reaction on Monday highlighted the esteem in which Adams, who has made 663 senior starts for Arsenal, is held, and he added: "The fans, and the Celtic supporters, were fantastic. It was a special night."
