The 1998 World Cup winner spent nine years with the Gunners, with his spell in north London the most productive and trophy-laden of a glittering career.
Spending so much time working closely with an iconic figure such as Wenger would have been expected to rub off on the all-action midfielder but Vieira insists that that was not the case.
Instead, he feels that many of the former Gunners stars who have moved into the dugout since hanging up their boots have done so of their own volition, with little assistance or advice received from the man who oversaw their time at Highbury and the Emirates Stadium.
“I’m not saying Arsene didn’t give me the desire to manage. He might have done so without me realizing but he never guided me, never showed me the way,” Vieira told France Football.
“Maybe Arsene wanted his former players to do it on their own. I find that a bit of a shame because all those who left Arsenal and who are managers always got on well with him.”
Vieira – who moved into coaching at Manchester City before heading to Major League Soccer - is also disappointed to see a lack of familiar faces on the Arsenal coaching staff.
Freddie Ljungberg has returned to take a post with the Under-16 side, while Steve Bould remains first-team assistant manager, but they are the exceptions to the norm.
“It’s a bit sad to not see old players in Arsenal’s staff,” Vieira added, “and I’m not [just] talking about the first team. There’s only Freddie Ljungberg.
“They love the club. After that, it’s not because we played at Arsenal that we deserve to be manager. All is earned but the desire is there.”
