Arsenal youngster Ethan Nwaneri has opened up on the impact that Mikel Arteta has had on his career.
He recently shared that the Spaniard has been on top of everything regarding his career since he broke into the first team.
Speaking during an interview with The Athletic, Nwaneri said that there’s a lot to learn from his manager.
He revealed that the Spanish coach helped him to stop slouching because he is really big on body language and the way his footballers act on and off the pitch.
Ethan stated that Arteta deserves a lot of praise for raising his game at the Emirates, stressing that he doesn’t just focus on the tactical side of coaching, but also on the mental aspect.
“There’s a lot to learn from Mikel. If you ever met him, you’d see how intense he is. How he’s so good with his words and he knows what he’s saying. He’s elevated my game, definitely.
There’s so much, not even just tactically but mentally too. On a personal level, he’s helped me a lot. He’s really big on body language and the way that he presents himself.
Before, maybe the way that I’d walk or slouch a bit or just the way I’d be sitting, he’s onto everything. That’s helped me just sharpen up in my mind and it’s helped me a lot,” he said.
Nwaneri further noted that even though his game time reduced towards the end of last season, he never took it to heart, because selection decisions are always tough for managers.
He concluded by saying that Arteta would prefer to include everyone in his team, but it is simply impossible.
“Going from playing quite a lot to not playing as much is normal in football.
So I don’t really take it to heart. I understand Mikel’s got a decision to make at the end of the day, and it’s hard for him to make.
He obviously wants to include everyone but he can’t. But I think it’s part of football and it’s those times that can really define where you’re going to be. I think I’ve dealt with it well. I’m in a good place mentally and physically,” he added.
