"His reaction was incredible" - Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta praises Bukayo Saka's resolve after England setback last summer

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta spoke about striker Bukayo Saka's resolve after the summer of 2021. The young England forward was subjected to racial abuse for missing a penalty in the Euro 2020 final against Italy. Italy won the European title in the penalty shootout after the regular game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Arteta said he was worried for Saka but was confident that the player would get over it soon. The Spanish manager wondered how the teenager would cope up with such mental pressure and public outrage this early in his career. He also lauded the Arsenal's supporters for sending letters and gifts to show moral support to the player.

Speaking at an event, Arteta said:

“I was worried with everything that happened in the summer with him but when I first met him after the holiday period, I realised he would cope with it well''.

He added:

“His reaction was incredible and then the support he had from everybody in football was something that gave him a big lift. “It gave him a lot of reassurance and security. It really pushed him forward to say ‘okay this is just part of the journey’.”

Mikel Arteta joined Arsenal as manager in 2019 after the club found itself in tough waters. The manager has been entrusted with powers to restructure the club and challenge for a top four position in the Premier League. Currently, the plan seems to be going well as they sit in fourth position in the table.

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta lauds his young players for their performances in the Premier League

Mikel Arteta has also brought in many young players in the process of overhauling the team. This includes the likes of Takehiro Tomiyasu, Sambi Lokonga and Martin Odegaard.

He lauded players for the performances they have put in throughout the season so far. Arteta said:

“What I see is not only Bukayo but young boys with incredible enthusiasm and passion for this club, that are really willing to bring success. They are dealing with a lot of difficult situations in a great way but that shows as well the education they had, the background environment, the families they have and how supportive the club have also been with them throughout their careers.''

Arteta hailed the club's environment and believes it contributes more than anything else to the development of young players at the club. Speaking at length about his tactics as a manager, Arteta said:

“For me how much I coach them is less important than the environment that they grew up with. They needed that and now they have the perfect place to grow.''