One Arsenal coach has now provided an insight into how Mikel Arteta behaves on the training pitch at London Colney.
Jack Wilshere has opened up about Mikel Arteta’s coaching methods at Arsenal.
Wilshere is now the under-18s manager at the north London club, working within the Hale End academy system that he himself came through as a player. He is now able to often witness first-hand how Arteta works with his senior squad.
The former England man will have known Arteta well from his playing days, anyway. The midfield duo shared a dressing room under Arsene Wenger between 2011 and 2016.
The pair will now be working closely once again to help ensure that the Gunners’ most talented youth prospects stand the best possible chance for making the grade at the Emirates Stadium. For instance, Arteta has held encouraging conversations with Ethan Nwaneri, who has been a shining light in the club’s academy system.
Now, Wilshere has lifted the lid on how Arteta tends to operate with his players on a day-to-day basis, and what sets the Spaniard apart from other coaches.
Jack Wilshere reveals what role Mikel Arteta plays in Arsenal training
There are lots of different kinds of managers in football. Some are almost never seen on the training pitch, others take charge of every session. Arteta falls into the latter category.
Speaking on the Up Front with Simon Jordan podcast, Wilshere stated, “Mikel, like, he’s so intense. Again, he cares so much. He’s on the grass, he is active, he’s taking sessions, he’s stopping it and coaching. That’s one thing that impressed me so much with Mikel, when I went in. I had Arsene for the majority of my career, Eddie [Howe] was a little bit different, Roy Hodgson was a bit different. But, I saw Mikel, like, I’d never experienced coaching like that since the academy…really breaking down the game. He’s the best at that in my opinion. The best at stopping it and seeing it, and helping the players find solutions.”
Wilshere is not the first to praise the boss for the work he does at London Colney, either. Emile Smith Rowe has also spoken out publicly about the quality of Arteta’s training.
Arsenal are now reaping the rewards of Mikel Arteta’s training regime
The manager is extremely details-oriented, and demands absolute commitment from his players to every training session. If a player falls foul of those expectations, they will not play.
It takes such a focused, even obsessed, approach to achieve the results that Arteta is after. His methods are clearly working, too. The Gunners have been a slick, cohesive outfit on the pitch this season. The Arsenal defence has been in a class of its own. As a team, the north London club have scored more goals and conceded fewer than any other side in the Premier League. That comes down to good coaching and hard work on the training pitch.