Despite not playing as much as he’d perhaps hoped, Noni Madueke is loving life at Arsenal.
The winger’s transfer from Chelsea to Arsenal split opinion, as fans wondered why Mikel Arteta was so eager to spend big on the 23-year-old.
Madueke has forgotten how Arsenal fans treated him when he first arrived, and now, he is relishing the decision he made to leave the Gunners’ rivals to make the Emirates home.
On the pitch, Madueke has impressed in spells, but off it, his impact has been huge, as he explained in a recent interview.
Prove me wrong: The future of Arsenal is Noni Madueke on the right and Bukayo Saka on the left.
Noni Madueke says the closeness of the Arsenal squad is a ‘blessing’
Amid the festive period, Madueke sat down for a lengthy interview with Arsenal’s official website.
The Englishman gave a glimpse of what it’s like behind the scenes at Arsenal, where the squad are clearly so aligned, particularly in faith.
“Obviously, we’ve got each other, and I feel like we’re so close. Before every game, we pray together for a few minutes, and when we’re away, we spend a few minutes studying the Bible and just praying,” Madueke said of the Christian community in the Arsenal squad.
He continued by painting a picture of the togetherness between the players right now.
“Not even just praying, just seeing if we’re all good, checking on each other and stuff like that,” Madueke added.
“A few of us probably contribute, and maybe there’s a scripture we talk about to see what everyone’s going through and how we can help each other.”
On the topic of the closeness of the squad away from the action, Madueke admitted that at Arsenal, there’s a sense of unity that he’s never felt before.
“I had it when I was at PSV and a little bit at Chelsea – we used to pray in the huddle before the games – but this is definitely the closest I’ve felt in terms of going to my team, so it’s a real blessing.”
It’s heartwarming to learn that Madueke has settled so seamlessly at Arsenal, where he’s clearly so valued by his teammates.
It’s unsurprising that the Arsenal squad wanted Madueke to sign
Madueke values his teammates, and vice versa.
The mutual respect wasn’t earned because of his transfer to Arsenal, as the winger had admirers in the squad before he even made his move.
How much will Noni Madueke be worth in 2030?
Bukayo Saka vouched for Madueke when Arsenal showed an interest, which was followed by Declan Rice showing support for his international teammate.
Rice predicted that Madueke would be a hit, and it’s so far, so good on that call.
In terms of popularity, Madueke is certainly one of the signings of the summer, with his arrival made even more exciting by the potential he’s already shown.
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