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Former Arsenal goalkeeper Graham Stack crashed the team’s minibus while playing for the academy.

Stack spent six years at Arsenal without playing a Premier League game, although he did make five League Cup appearances.

That gave him plenty of opportunities to have fun elsewhere, and on one occasion he hijacked the team minibus even though he had just passed his driving test.

His idea of ​​a little fun backfired when he lost control of the vehicle, causing the team bus driver to crash into the windshield.

Stack, 41, recalled the story in an exclusive interview with Ladbrokes Fanzone, saying: “I was very lucky because it didn’t come out in the press at the time.

“I was at the academy and a guy named Lawrence was our bus driver; I had just passed my driving test and the Arsenal training ground was quite a long driveway.

“So I asked Lawrence if I could drive the minibus to the end of the road. Lawrence always used to hit the brake if someone was standing up, but he did it so delicately that you rocked forward but didn’t fall over, that is, you just sat down, and he used to do it with me quite often.

“So, he was standing right next to me at the time to see what I was doing and I sped up a little bit more than I anticipated and didn’t realize the weight of the coach and when we were halfway there. I picked up a little more speed and thought about hitting the brakes to get Lawrence to jump forward, but obviously I hit the brakes a little harder than I expected and Lawrence almost went through the window.

“He broke the window screen and broke his glasses. It was a scary moment, I have to say!

“Fortunately for him, Arsene Wenger or anyone else at the club decided to warn him, maybe because they never found out.

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“Anyway, I was worried about Lawrence, but also that he shouldn’t have let me drive the bus, but we took him back to Highbury and they put the new glass on it and it wasn’t really talked about.”

Unfortunately for Stack, he was involved in another chaotic scene while at Arsenal.

During a loan spell at Belgian club Beveren, the goalkeeper hit a Royal Antwerp supporter after fans invaded the pitch.

He was also subjected to ill-treatment and had missiles fired in his direction before the clash.

Stack said of the incident: “Out of nowhere, I saw all these fans running towards me.

“I could see someone running towards me and it was obvious he wasn’t going to stop. I hit him in self defense.”

Stack spent time at Millwall and Reading on loan from the Gunners, joining the latter permanently in 2006.

He also had spells at Leeds, Wolves, Plymouth, Blackpool and Hibs before a four-year spell at Barnet where he made 125 league appearances.

Stack is now the goalkeeping coach at Colchester United.