Per Mertesacker has hailed Mikel Arteta and claimed that he learnt to be a man when he played alongside the Spaniard.
Arteta and the German joined Arsenal on the same day in 2011 and they both went on to help Arsene Wenger achieve the last successes that he had as the club’s manager.
When Arteta was Arsenal’s captain, Mertesacker was his assistant, and the German has lifted the lid on what it feels like to work alongside the former Everton midfielder.
He claimed that he always admired the way Arteta led by example and took responsibility even as a player and that the Spaniard has continued that way as a manager.
The German claims that Arteta is exactly where he belongs after he left his job as Pep Guardiola’s assistant manager to become Arsenal’s second permanent boss after Arsene Wenger.
The Spaniard has now overseen an improvement in the mood, results and attitude around the Emirates since he took over late last year.
‘I’m so delighted that Mikel has a place where he belongs, that’s my belief and that was my belief already as a player,’ Mertesacker told Arsenal Player.
‘His leadership is fantastic and I felt it myself, just being vice-captain and learning from him, how to handle situations, how to man up, be the captain and show it, but as well to have the empathy and the feeling for people.
‘I learned a lot from him and I can only say that our working relationship is great and our personal relationship is great, so I can see a fantastic future for us.’
