Former Arsenal star Hector Bellerin has now shared his verdict on Mikel Arteta.
Hector Bellerin spent seven seasons as part of the Arsenal first team squad. Between 2014 and 2021, the right-back made 239 appearances for the north London club. He also won three FA Cups in his time at the Emirates Stadium.
The 28-year-old is currently plying his trade with La Liga outfit Real Betis, having had spells with Barcelona and Sporting, since leaving the north London club in 2022.
During his time at Arsenal, Bellerin spent time as a teammate of Mikel Arteta, and also played under him when he returned as a manager. Of course, the Spaniard is now in the dugout at the Emirates Stadium.
The defender is not surprised that Arteta has proven to be an excellent manager. Since taking on his first managerial role, taking the reins at Arsenal in 2019, Arteta has gradually transformed the club. The Gunners are now back in the Champions League and can consider themselves genuine Premier League title contenders once more.
Bellerin has now opened up about what makes Arteta such an effective coach. Speaking to Sky Sports, the four-cap Spain international said, “Mikel is such a great coach. He’s been my team-mate and he was great. He’s a wonderful coach and I’m glad they’re finding the way to play that the coach has always wanted. He’s found the right players and he’s found the support from the fans again.”
“He’s a coach that is always constantly learning and I think that’s what’s good about him. He’s able to adapt and learn from his mistakes. He’s able to become a new Arteta every season.”
Arsenal rewarded for faith in Mikel Arteta
Arteta has certainly had to learn and evolve quickly on the job. The club have also had to show patience and keep faith in the manager through some tough times. Edu has previously spoken out publicly about why Arsenal never seriously considered sacking Arteta.
The club stuck by Arteta as he led Arsenal to consecutive eighth-place league finishes. They are now being rewarded for their commitment to the manager’s project. Arteta was given time to overhaul the playing squad and drip-feed his tactical ideas to the team. Now, this Arsenal squad has been constructed in his image and is ideally suited to producing the kind of football on the pitch that he wants to see.
Arteta has also been backed in the transfer market. Arsenal spent heavily in the recent summer transfer window. A club-record fee of £105 million was paid to secure the services of Declan Rice from West Ham United. Another £65 million was shelled out to snap up Kai Havertz from Chelsea. A further £38 million was invested in Jurrien Timber, whilst David Raya arrived on a season-long loan from Brentford, with the Gunners set to pay £27 million to make his move permanent.
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