Ian Wright leads tributes to former Arsenal chairman Pete Hill-Wood

Tributes from Arsenal stars have flooded in for former Gunners chairman Peter Hill-Wood, who has died at the age of 82.

Hill-Wood was chairman of the Premier League club between 1982 and 2013, during which time Arsenal won 17 major trophies, including five league titles and five FA Cups.

He appointed the likes of George Graham and Arsene Wenger as manager, and oversaw the club moving from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium in 2006.

Among the former players to pay tribute to Hill-Wood was Ian Wright, who said the ex-Gunners chief gave young players 'hope', as well as praising his work supporting the local area.

In an Instagram post under a picture of Hill-Wood giving an award to Wright's former Arsenal team mate, David Rocastle, the former striker wrote: 'Rest in Peace Mr Chairman. Thank you for everything you did for our club and our community.

'You gave Rocky [Rocastle] his first pro contract and by doing that gave so many of us hope. Til we meet again.'

Among the other Arsenal legends to pay tribute to Hill-Wood was another striking hero in Thierry Henry, who posted a sombre black and white image of the former chairman to Instagram.

Henry wrote:  'Very sad to hear the passing of Peter Hill-Wood today. Many fond memories of him from my time at Arsenal, and I wish his family and friends great strength over this difficult time.'

Former Gunners Cesc Fabregas and Lee Dixon both posted 'RIP Mr Chairman' to Twitter in order to pay their respects.

Arsenal will wear black armbands for their trip to Liverpool on Saturday. Their next home game is on New Year's Day against Fulham, where a minute's silence will be held and black armbands will again be worn.

Hill-Wood - who joined the Arsenal board in 1962 and stepped up to become chairman in 1982, a position he held until he stepped down in 2013 - died on Friday after a long illness.

Sportsmail columnist and former Arsenal defender Martin Keown also shared his memories of Hill-Wood in his Tackle Keown column on Friday.

Keown wrote: 'He was a man of great dignity and class. Throughout my time at the club he was a constant presence at matches, always greeting the players before every home and away game to wish us well.

'His father and grandfather had been chairmen before him and when you shook his hand, it felt like a link to Arsenal's history.

'He was never afraid to embrace change, too. He saw a great visionary in Arsene Wenger and helped facilitate the new training ground and stadium. Arsenal was his great love and he embodied the values and traditions of this club.'

Among his most significant decisions at the helm of the Gunners was the appointment of Wenger as manager in 1996 - a controversial choice at the time, however the Frenchman went on to be one of the Premier League's most successful coaches.

Wenger went on to guide Arsenal to three Premier League titles - including going through the 2003/04 season unbeaten - and four FA Cups.

Hill-Wood also brought in Graham as manager - who led the club to two league titles, the FA Cup, League Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup; including the 1989 title triumph where Michael Thomas' last minute goal at Anfield snatched the championship from Liverpool.

A well told anecdote from that triumph recalls Hill-Wood puffing on a cigar in the Anfield hospitality suite after the game, declaring that the result was 'never in doubt'.

Such is Hill-Wood's standing in the game, Arsenal's local rivals Tottenham Hotspur paid tribute to his achievements: 'We are sorry to hear of the passing of Peter. We send out condolences to Peter's family and friends at this difficult time.'