March 26, 2022

Mikel Arteta, Arsenal tactician, who turns 40 Saturday, March 26, has explained why he is always high on confidence and why he has so much trust in young players.

He attributes this to his playing days at Paris Saint-Germain of France where he played alongside the likes of Ronaldinho, Jay-Jay Okocha, Mauricio Pochettino and Nicolas Anelka.

He spoke to Arsenal.com in an interview to mark his 40^th birthday.

Although Mikel is the youngest manager in the league currently, he has a wealth of experience from his playing days, that he draws upon when dealing with young players now.

At age 20, he was playing for Paris Saint-Germain alongside the likes of Ronaldinho, Jay-Jay Okocha, Mauricio Pochettino and Nicolas Anelka.

It was the Spaniard’s first real taste of senior football, having been loaned from Barcelona, where he had been representing the B team as a teenager.

“On the journey throughout my career, whether as a player or a manager, I’ve have to always adapt,” he explains. “You have to go into an environment and be bold and determined to give what you can. At that moment in Paris it was a big challenge to move away from my country, without speaking the language. To go into a team that was full of stars but with a coach [Luis Fernandez] who lifted me and gave me an amazing opportunity. Then you have to have the personality and character to impose yourself and grab it.

“I think you need some senior players around you to set the standards and a good example. They can guide you, protect you, encourage you and to turn the fears that you can have at that age into confidence. Then it’s up to you to have the personality, the hunger and the passion to retain that level.

“When you sense their participation leads to a huge improvement for the team, you feel fulfilled as a manager,” he said.

Arsenal is the youngest team in the Premier League and has made the most improvement from bottom of the table after three matches to one of the top four teams.

Parading the youngest squad in the Premier League this season also being the youngest manager, Mikel Arteta was 37 when he took over in December 2019, and since then he’s overseen a large-scale transformation of the squad, while helping to reshape and unite the club off the pitch.

After winning the FA Cup at the end of his first season, Mikel has continued to build and develop the playing staff, but just as important a task in his eyes, has been to reconnect the fans with this vibrant team.

There have been some bold decisions along the way. Each of the 18 youngest starting lineups named by Premier League sides this season have all been Arsenal teams (usually around 24 and a half years old) and our two top scorers this term are both academy graduates, reports Arsenal.com.