‘I was lazy…’ £68m Arsenal star makes shock admission about what he used to be like as a player

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Mikel Arteta has improved many players throughout his coaching career at Arsenal.

Even before his reign in N5 started, the Spaniard was cited as having developed many players at Manchester City, including the likes of Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane.

Obsessed with the fine details and the meticulous nuances of football, it’s no surprise that the head coach has been referenced by so many as instrumental in their careers.

At Arsenal, Arteta has nurtured the likes of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and, perhaps one of his biggest success stories, William Saliba.

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Arsenal star William Saliba said he used to be ‘lazy’

Saliba signed for Arsenal in 2019, but didn’t make his competitive debut for the club until August 2022.

The Frenchman was sent out on three separate loan spells before he made inroads in the Arsenal first team, with Arteta wanting the centre-back to develop certain aspects of his game before featuring for the Gunners.

This slow integration at the Emirates worked perfectly, with Saliba now wanted by Real Madrid as a result of establishing himself as one of the best defenders in world football.

Speaking to Arsenal.com about his career, Saliba admitted he was ‘lazy’ when he was a young player trying to breakthrough into the professional game.

“What was the first lesson that I got? If you want to be a top player, you have to work hard. Harder than everyone else,” he said.

“Everyone in my first club, every coach that I had there, they all taught me that. Yes [it was a lesson he needed teaching], because when I was young, I was a bit lazy.

“I was lazy to run. I would just do two or three sprints in the game, then I would stand there and put my hands on my hips like this!’ So I was lazy, but then I realised that if you want to be a top player, you have to run. You have to run a lot.

“But when you are young, that’s ok. But when you get to 12 or 13 years old, you realise you need to step up a bit more. There was one coach at this stage who told me to be more demanding with myself.

“So at this stage, I realised that I have to do more. Even outside of the pitch, I have to run more in training and throughout the week.”

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William Saliba’s Arsenal statistics 2024/25

Evidently not lazy by the time he joined Arsenal, Saliba still had some things he needed to iron out of his game before Arteta could embrace him.

Occasionally too aggressive and front-footed, as well as not always being the most commanding aerially, the 23-year-old has developed in these aspects significantly in recent years.

Now valued at £68 million (via TransferMarkt), Saliba is a complete centre-back.

Dribbled past just twice all season in the Premier League, the France international retains possession at an elite rate, completing 94% of passes, while he’s also willing to break lines with aggressive forward balls.

Defensively, Saliba is imperious, shutting down some of the world’s best forwards when they try to run at him.