"He is loved among his colleagues in the dressing room" - Arsenal star's father claims his son will coach Gunners in the future

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta may already have a successor to his job in his current squad if midfielder Mohamed Elneny's father is to be believed.

The Egyptian's father has backed his son to coach the Gunners one day. It is a common phenomenon in sports to see former players return as coaches at some point in their lives.

The 30-year-old midfielder was heavily linked with a move away from Arsenal this summer but penned a new 12-month deal with the option of an additional year. His father, Naseer Elneny, was always sure that his son would continue his association with the north London club.

In an interview with MBC Egypt via the Daily Mirror, he also revealed how much everyone loves Elneny at the Emirates.

Mohamed Elneny's father said:

"I was sure that Elneny would continue with Arsenal, and I told him that, even though everyone in Egypt was saying that he would leave the team this summer. The players love Elneny, he is loved among his colleagues in the dressing room, and the club’s management loves him, so I think he will coach Arsenal in the future."

Naseer is proud of his son for having represented one of the top clubs with such a great history. He also lavished praise on Egyptian international Mohamed Salah for his exploits with Liverpool.

Senior Elneny said:

"I tell my son that I am proud of you, you made me hold my head, whether because of your performance with the Egyptian national team, or with Arsenal. I do not think that there is a player who was able to play in Arsenal for 8 seasons, and I say to Mohamed Salah that you are the best player in the world and the pride of Egypt."

Arsenal are one of the few clubs who support their former players in coaching endeavors with wholeheartedness. Currently, former Gunners like Edu Gaspar (technical director), Arteta (manager), and Per Mertesacker (academy manager) all hold important positions.

Jack Wilshere, who announced his retirement a couple of days ago at the age of 30, has now been appointed as the north London club's new U18 coach. Hence, the possibility of Elneny returning to a coaching role at the Emirates in the future cannot be ruled out.

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Wilshere looking to take inspiration from Arsenal legend Wenger as he takes up new coaching role

Immediately after the announcement of his retirement from football, the Gunners announced Jack Wilshere as the coach of their U18 side. The 30-year-old replaced Dan Micciche, who joined EFL League Two side Crawley Town as an assistant manager.

The Hale End academy graduate, who will now coach the U18s, has suggested that he is looking to draw inspiration from Arsene Wenger and Mikel Arteta.

Wilshere told the club's official website:

"I want a team that dominates possession, tries to win the ball back as high as possible, as quickly as possible. Working under Arsene and people like that, they instilled that in us from a young age. If I can bring that in, along with Mikel's thoughts and ideas, I think that's a recipe for success."