Mikel Arteta has been described as a “leader” by his former Arsenal teammate and Bayern Munich winger Serge Gnabry.
The 28-year-old Germany international made just 18 first-team appearances for the north London club, when Arteta was vice-captain of the team before becoming captain ahead of the 2014-15 campaign.
Gnabry explained how the former central midfielder helped him and other young players early in their Arsenal careers, before his Bayern side face Arteta’s side in the quarter-final on Tuesday of the Champions League.
“He is now fully absorbed in his role as coach and thinks very strategically,” Gnabry said of Arteta in a statement. interview with the Bayern Munich website.
“In my time, he was already an experienced player. He was the captain, a leader who spoke to everyone and communicated a lot.
“He was very useful to us as young players back then. He built us up, always gave us good advice, always tried to guide us to stay focused and give our all.
Gnabry made three appearances for West Bromwich Albion on loan during the 2015-16 season, before joining Werder Bremen permanently the following season – scoring 11 goals in his only season.
After a season on loan at Hoffenheim, he joined Bayern in 2018 and scored 85 goals for the club and helped them win the Champions League trophy in 2020.
He has endured an injury-plagued campaign this year, being limited to just 16 appearances in all competitions, scoring four goals and providing one assist.
Arteta retired in 2016 before becoming assistant manager at Manchester City – a role he held until his appointment as Arsenal manager in December 2019.
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