Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger: David Bowie "very important for my generation”

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger counted himself as a fan of David Bowie, although the Gunners’ coach admitted he couldn’t assess how the late artist influenced the musical landscape. 

But Wenger said at a news conference on Monday that he remembers Bowie --- who died late Sunday night at the age 69 after an 18-month battle with cancer --- for what he meant to his generation.

“Basically, after the second World War, what I (took) from his message is to be strong enough to be yourself,” said Wenger, a 66-year-old Frenchman. “That was a very strong message. That was very important for my generation.”

Wenger made the remarks ahead of the Premier League-leading Arsenal’s game against Liverpool on Wednesday. 

Bowie’s song Heroes was the unofficial song for British athletes during the 2012 Summer Olympics and organizers of the London Games even attempted to get Bowie to perform at the closing ceremonies. (Bowie turned down the invite.)