David Seaman says Arsenal’s trophyless season will be a disappointment regardless of what happens in the race for the top four, and he is warning the Gunners’ players that their careers will be defined by their winners’ medals.

The former Arsenal goalkeeper made 564 appearances for the club between 1990 and 2003, winning a total of nine trophies – three league titles, four FA Cups, the 1993 League Cup and the 1994 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.

This will be Arsenal’s eighth year without winning a piece of silverware and, although Arsene Wenger’s side are bidding to secure Champions League qualification for the 16th successive season, Seaman feels that trophies are all-important.

“If Arsenal get that fourth place people will celebrate that, but I’m thinking ‘hang on a minute, it’s only fourth position, we’re not exactly challenging for trophies’,” he said.

“I’ve got nine winners’ medals and quite a few runners-up medals as well – we were close a lot of the time. When you look back on your career you don’t think of where you finished in the league, you remember what you’ve won and sometimes what you’ve lost as well.

“With the money side of it now [in the Champions League], that’s going to happen. You get paid for what you do and you get paid very well, but when it comes to winning medals, you can’t buy that.”

Arsenal still have plenty to do if they are to finish in the top four and Seaman, who also won 75 caps for England, is expecting a tense battle to the end.

“The race for the top four is going to be close,” said the 49-year-old. “Arsenal have got a game in hand over Tottenham but they still have to go and win that game.

“It’s not going to be easy but the good thing is Arsenal have hit some good form at the end of the season, so hopefully that will take them through and get them the fourth position.”

Seaman has also been following the goalkeeping situation at the Emirates with interest as the Polish duo of Wojciech Szczesny and Lukasz Fabianski battle it out for the No1 jersey.

Szczesny was Wenger’s preferred choice but he was dropped and replaced by his countryman Fabianski after the home defeat against Bayern Munich in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Szczesny’s father Maciej even got involved in the matter, stating that Wenger forced his son to play through injury, resulting in a loss of form – but Seaman feels the competition is good for the Gunners.

“At Arsenal you’ve got two goalkeepers of a similar standard,” he said. “If one has a loss of form the other is going to go in there.

“Fabianski had an injury for a long time but he’s worked really hard on his game and he’s got back in at the right time.

“It’s now down to him whether he loses it or not. If he carries on how he’s doing he’s going to stay the No1 and Szczesny will just have to sit and wait. They’ve got the competition at Arsenal and for Poland nationally as well.

“It’s all about how Szczesny reacts. Does he go and sulk or does he react positively and say ‘right, I’m going to try to work hard to get my place back’?”

David Seaman was talking at a pop-up pitch in London’s Trafalgar Square to celebrate the arrival of Sky Sports on NOW TV, giving instant access to all six Sky Sports channels for 24 hours. Visit www.nowtv.com for more information.

Follow Joshua Modaberi on Twitter @J_Modaberi