Arsenal legend lifts lid on real Mikel Arteta - 'He has arrogance but a soft side'
Theo Walcott knew Mikel Arteta was destined to become a manager when they were team-mates at Arsenal but recently retired winger insists the Gunners boss has a far more relaxed side away from the touchline
Mikel Arteta has already developed the aura of a managerial great.
And Theo Walcott says he would have loved playing under his former team-mate, whom he knew was destined to be a manager because of his leadership and responsible outlook as a player.
After spending part of pre-season with the club in a new ambassadorial role, Walcott also knows there is a side to the Basque at odds with the manic intensity often displayed on the touchline.
But it is the way that he thinks outside the box - underlined by having pickpockets take players’ phones during a recent dinner - that sets him apart from rival bosses.
“Like Arsene, he’s got that aura even as a young manager,” Walcott said. “He’s got the look, the nice arrogance but there’s a soft side when he comes away from the pitch or media. He’s a really good man to speak to and he knows when to be serious and take a step back.
“Even the pickpocket thing - that was all about making sure the players are alert every day in anything they do. It’s like making sure your kids’ uniforms and homework is sorted.
"Players need to be engaged at every opportunity, always be switched on. He’s getting them thinking in a different way and asking questions.
“Managers can guide players in certain ways but they have to come up with the answers. I saw it in the States. He does things very differently. But he’s open and honest too, which is unusual but a good thing.”
Theo Walcott will make his Match of the Day debut as a pundit this weekend, offering professional analysis and insight on the Premier League. Walcott will also be a pundit for the BBC’s new MOTD Champions League programme.
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