"Had this personality to try to find solutions" - Ex-Arsenal star claims past dressing rooms knew Mikel Arteta would become a manager

Former Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech has revealed that Mikel Arteta had the hallmarks of a manager from his playing days, and this was known to his teammates. The former midfielder is in his sixth year in charge of his former club, having been named as manager back in November 2019.

Arteta and Cech were teammates at Arsenal after the latter left Chelsea to sign with the Gunners ahead of the 2015-16 season. They played together for just a season before the midfielder retired in 2016, while Cech remained at the club until 2019.

Petr Cech spoke with fellow former Premier League star Ben Foster via Amazon Prime Video, detailing how Arteta showed his knack for management as a player. The former goalkeeper pointed out that the Arsenal boss showed personality even as a player. He said:

"With Mikel, you knew if you were in the dressing room that he was a future coach and a future manager because of the way he could see the game and the attention to detail. He played as a number six or eight, passing the ball and being the guy who controls the game.

"You obviously see things a slightly different way. You have the ability to understand how the game is played. But he had this personality to try to find solutions and had the personality to let people know when he had an opinion. As a coach, you obviously need to be comfortable talking to people and managing people."

Mikel Arteta was a midfielder for Everton and Arsenal in the Premier League prior to his retirement in 2016. Afterwards, he worked with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City as an assistant before he was approached to replace Unai Emery at the Emirates.

Arteta has led the Gunners to win the FA Cup once and the Community Shield twice since being named as manager. He has also led his side to successive second-place finishes in the league as he continues to aim for a first league title.

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Arsenal star expresses readiness to answer Arteta's call in any position

Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori has expressed his readiness to play for manager Mikel Arteta in any position he asks of him. The Italian left-back recorded a goal and an assist in their 7-1 thrashing of PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.

Calafiori, a summer signing from Bologna, has scored a number of important goals for Arsenal since joining the club. He recently spoke with Sky Sports Italia about his willingness to play anywhere, including in attack, as his side are going through an injury crisis. He said:

“I enjoy the victory and my first goal in the Champions League; it’s a dream come true. As I’ve always said, I feel capable of playing in any position, and of course, I would be ready to play in attack. That being said, honestly, we need to discuss technical and tactical aspects, and it wouldn’t be easy because I’ve never done it before.

"Of course, if asked, I would do it, but I’m not sure if I can truly be an alternative in that role. One thing is being already in attack, another is arriving there from behind, which is a totally different thing, and that’s something I do well.”

Arsenal boss Arteta has turned to Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino for attacking cover, with the Spain international starting four successive games as striker. With the quality finishing ability displayed by Calafiori, it will be no surprise to see him given a run in the position as well.