Arsenal’s newest defender Sokratis has only been at the club for two weeks since arriving from Dortmund and joining up with his old team-mates Mhkitaryan and Aubameyang. This is the veteran’s first time in England after spells in Greece, Italy and Germany but he obviously feels settled in already as he is hoping to help our other Greek centre-back, Dinos Mavropanos, to get used to life at the club as well. “I think this is my work and the work of the other guys with experience, to help the young guys,” Sokratis said on Arsenal.com. “From the first day, I will do everything so that the young guys feel like they have been here for a lot of years.
“[Dinos and I] spoke two or three times on the telephone, and also when he came here. I said to him that it’s OK, Arsenal is one of the big teams but he has to be happy and needs to put in a lot of work.
“I also saw some games. He improved a lot and I think that if he improves again in the next year, he can be one of the best defenders.
“The first year is difficult because it also depends if you speak the language or not. Now I’m here I also have to help him to be more calm, more easy, more friendly here with the other guys. I think we can have one good relationship together, we can be friends.”
The strange thing is that Mavropanos has already been in London for the last six months and even broke into the first team towards the end of last season, so I think we can assume that he now speaks English well and has integrated into the squad well enough already.
Perhaps the youngster can help the older Greek player to settle in??
Sam P