Ex-Arsenal Man: I Would’ve Loved To Have Played Under Mikel Arteta

Former Arsenal full-back Nacho Monreal wishes he was still at the club under Mikel Arteta’s tutelage…

Former Arsenal left-back Nacho Monreal admitted that he would’ve loved to have played under former teammate Mikel Arteta, the Spaniard told The Guardian.

Monreal spent four years in the same dressing room as Arteta, with most of those years viewing the current manager as his skipper.

The pair won two FA Cups together during their time in north London and Monreal claims he saw the managerial qualities in Arteta from early on.

Now at La Liga leaders Real Sociedad, Monreal left the club in the summer of 2019 to return to his homeland and missed the Arteta tenure by a matter of months.

“You could see it,” the former Malaga man said when asked if he foresaw Arteta’s path into management.

“He was a leader, a captain. He expressed himself very well, spoke in every meeting, knowledgably. He communicated well. He was doing his badges, telling us his vocation was coaching.”

Monreal was one of the most consistent players during his time at Arsenal and many of his qualities align with the ethos Arteta is attempting to build.

A versatile defender, comfortable with the ball at his feet and specialised in winning the ball back so swiftly after relinquishing possession, Monreal would’ve been a joy for Arteta. The defender has a mutual feeling:

“I would have loved to have played under Arteta. I spoke to Héctor about that. I had him as a teammate and I would have loved to see him as a coach; there’s that curiosity in me.”

The co-signs continue to grow regarding Arteta’s qualities as a coach among the football world, though doubts are creeping amidst Arsenal fans who expect instant results.

As is usually the case in management, the more this team starts to look like an ‘Arteta team’ in terms of personnel, the better he’ll perform as a coach.