Former Arsenal player admits Mikel Arteta ‘changed’ him as a footballer – he’s ‘another level’ now

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Arsenal have enjoyed having Mikel Arteta as manager for five years, as the Spaniard continues to raise the bar in N5.

It was in December 2019 that Arteta was unveiled as Arsenal manager, taking the reins from Unai Emery.

Arteta had to right Emery’s wrongs when he first returned to Arsenal, making the Emirates home again after retiring as a player in 2016.

For two consecutive years, the Gunners have taken Manchester City to the wire in the Premier League title race, as Arteta’s influence on the Arsenal squad becomes more and more apparent.

• READ MORE: The shocking starting XI from Mikel Arteta’s first-ever Arsenal game

Cedric Soares praises Mikel Arteta’s impact on his career 

From hiring pickpockets to test the Arsenal squad to being erratic on the touchline, Arteta has deployed many tactics to make his players better.

The majority of players that Arteta has coached at Arsenal have seen their game elevated, with one former Gunner lifting the lid on his experience with the Spaniard.

In an interview with The Athletic, free agent Cedric Soares detailed how tactically thorough Arteta is, admitting that his view of football has changed completely since his transfer to Arsenal.

“Mikel changed the way I see football. I would say it’s on another level tactically,” Cedric said before revealing what it’s really like to work with Arteta.

“You really have to see the (numerical) advantage. When it is there and when it is not there, it means it is somewhere else on the pitch. In that way, I really improved my tactical view of the game and because I worked so long with Mikel I watch the game through his eyes a bit.

“Obviously, I have my ideas, but he teaches you to see it automatically and instinctively because you have to decide quickly on the pitch. He teaches everything.”

Cedric arrived at Arsenal as a 28-year-old having spent time at Sporting CP, Inter Milan and Southampton but still managed to learn more of the game thanks to Arteta’s teachings. 

What is Cedric doing now after leaving Arsenal?

The Gunners offloaded Cedric in the summer at the expiration of the 33-year-old’s contract, bringing his three-and-a-half-year association with Arsenal to an end.

Earlier this season, Cedric was celebrated at the Emirates on his return to his former club following his release. 

At present, watching from the stands is the closest the Portuguese has come to the action, as he remains a free agent.

While the right-back wasn’t the most popular at Arsenal, it’s understood that many clubs want to sign Cedric but he is simply waiting to make the right choice.

Whoever signs the defender next will receive a player charged with Arteta’s tactical lessons, with the Spaniard being an integral part of Cedric’s career.