"It’s such a great tribute" - Mikel Arteta reacts as Arsenal unveil new Arsene Wenger statue at the Emirates

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has paid tribute to iconic Gunners manager Arsene Wenger after a statue of the French manager was unveiled at the Emirates.

The Gunners saw a period of great success under the retired coach during his 22-year reign. The north London outfit won three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups, amongst other trophies, with Wenger as head coach.

The Frenchman is considered a legend of the club he helped transform before leaving in 2018.

Following Wenger's statue's unveiling at the Emirates Stadium, Arteta, who was signed as a player by the Frenchman in 2011, said (as quoted by Metro):

"It’s such a great tribute that the club has done something special for Arsene that he fully deserves and merits. With a statue now at the stadium, Arsene can have that recognition and be here at our club forever."

He added:

“I’m so grateful to have played for Arsene at this club in my career. He chose me to be one of his players and selected me to be the captain of the club and that’s something I will never forget."

Wenger was appointed Arsenal manager in 1996. The Frenchman won seven English Super Cups apart from the aforementioned accolades during his time at the North London outfit.

He also coached the iconic 'Invincibles' team that won the Premier League on an unbeaten run during the 2003-04 campaign. The feat is yet to be replicated in the English top tier.

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"One day you are going to be a manager" - Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta reveals what Arsene Wenger told him towards the end of his career

Arteta played under Wenger at Arsenal for five years from 2011 to 2016. He made 150 appearances under the legendary manager, contributing 16 goals and 11 assists.

The former Barcelona midfielder revealed that the Frenchman once predicted that Arteta would make the move into management after hanging up his boots.

The Spaniard also revealed the values and lessons he learned while playing under the former French manager. He shared how he implements those learnings in his career today as the Arsenal boss.

The Spanish manager said (per the club's official website):

“Towards the end of my playing career, I started to speak with Arsène about going into coaching and management myself, and he told me he had already anticipated that. Even the first year when I got here, he said to me: ‘one day you are going to be a manager’, and I wasn't really thinking about that at that time.”

He added:

“I learned so much from him and if I had to pick one of his many great values, it is how loyal he was and how much he defended the club, its players and football in general."

Arteta was appointed Arsenal manager in 2019 and has won one FA Cup with the club so far.