Mohamed Elneny has touted Arsenal as one of the five biggest clubs in the world.
The Egyptian moved to North-London from Swiss side Basel in January, and has become an instant hit for the Gunners.
Elneny has earned a regular starting role for Arsenal since making his debut in March, and looks likely to become a fans favourite for years to come. Nobody could have predicted how quickly he would adapt to the nature of the English Premier League, but this midfield star took it in his stride.
“It would have been very hard to move from Egypt to England straight away, especially to a big club like Arsenal,” he told Arsenal Player. “My time in Switzerland helped me a lot though.
“There weren’t any big challenges because Basel is the biggest club in Switzerland. Everyone was very professional and they had solutions so there wasn’t any problems nor challenges that could face any player. Whenever I needed anything they helped me.
“I learned how to be punctual. Of course in Egypt we are [punctual], but there are small details we don’t pay attention to which people outside Egypt do pay attention to. Also, I learned a lot about how to play in Europe and in the Champions League. I did all of this in Switzerland and then over here, it’s just a case of applying what I learned.
“When I came to Arsenal, there were different ideas. If you went somewhere thinking you know everything, then you’ll never learn. I gain experience and I always learn from people here because they are successful. Arsenal are one of the biggest five clubs in the world so they’re definitely successful people. You have to listen to everyone here to gain their experience.”
Does Elneny have what it takes to fight off the challenge of Xhaka and Cazorla in the race for first-team football next term?
Pat J