Martin Keown admits he was impressed with new Aston Villa manager Remi Garde when he played alongside the Frenchman at Arsenal and always thought he would take the step into management.
Garde, who played as a midfielder, was taken to Arsenal in 1996 on the recommendation of Arsene Wenger, who later took charge at the Gunners.
The Frenchman turned out for the north London giants between 1996 and 1999, during which time Keown saw him at close quarters.
While Garde was not a vocal member of the dressing room, Keown says his thoughtful nature and communication skills made him an impressive character.
And he was not surprised when Garde went into management, first at Lyon and now Aston Villa.
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"Remi was very thoughtful and always had a smile on his face", Keown told Aston Villa's official site.
"He wasn't always particularly vocal but he was a good communicator within the group. You could not fail to be impressed by him.
"There were a lot of players in those Arsenal teams who you would have thought would make good managers. But that's not always how it works out.
"But I'm not surprised that Remi has taken the step", the former defender added.
Garde started his career as a player at Lyon before moving on to Strasbourg, from where Arsenal snapped him up. He picked up the Premier League title in the 1997/98 campaign with the Gunners.
The 49-year-old was in charge of Lyon from 2011 until 2014, but now faces the task of preventing Aston Villa falling through the Premier League trap door and into the Championship.
