|
|
Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta: Experiencing the toughness of Scottish football with Rangers prepared me for the Premier League
The Spaniard spent two years at Ibrox as a youngster and believes that the physicality of the game north of the border taught him a lot ahead of his move to England in 2005
11 Jan 2012 16:00:00
By George Ankers
Getty Images
Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta has revealed that experiencing the physicality of Scottish football while at Rangers prepared him for life in the Premier League.
The Spaniard moved to Ibrox aged just 19 from Barcelona having been impressed by the club while on loan at Paris Saint-Germain.
While the 29-year-old admitted adapting to the relative roughness of the game in Scotland was difficult, the former Everton man believes that it taught him what was necessary to fit in when he arrived in England.
“In my second year at Paris Saint-Germain we played Rangers in the Champions League at Ibrox,” Arteta told Arsenal’s official website.
“I was really impressed with the stadium and everything that went with it.
“In February that year they came over and said they wanted to sign me. At the time I was only on loan in Paris and Barcelona wouldn't sell me to another Spanish club.
“It wasn't easy to find another club like that because they were asking for quite a lot of money for me for my age. So I took the chance to go there.
“At that moment, Rangers were a big club, with big players, playing in the Champions League.
“But Scottish football was tough, really tough. It was really physical, people got at you and I had to improve on that a lot. I think I did that to get to the level that the Premier League required of me.”
Arteta remained at Rangers for two years before spending a single season in his homeland with Real Sociedad.
The central midfielder made his debut in English football in 2005 for Everton, going on to make 208 appearances for the Toffees before joining the Gunners in the summer of 2011.
| Bet: | Returns: | Rangers £15.00 | Draw £35.00 | Motherwell £60.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Rangers £15.71 | Draw £35.00 | Motherwell £70.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Rangers £14.00 | Draw £43.30 | Motherwell £85.00 |
|
The Spaniard moved to Ibrox aged just 19 from Barcelona having been impressed by the club while on loan at Paris Saint-Germain.
While the 29-year-old admitted adapting to the relative roughness of the game in Scotland was difficult, the former Everton man believes that it taught him what was necessary to fit in when he arrived in England.
“In my second year at Paris Saint-Germain we played Rangers in the Champions League at Ibrox,” Arteta told Arsenal’s official website.
“I was really impressed with the stadium and everything that went with it.
“In February that year they came over and said they wanted to sign me. At the time I was only on loan in Paris and Barcelona wouldn't sell me to another Spanish club.
“It wasn't easy to find another club like that because they were asking for quite a lot of money for me for my age. So I took the chance to go there.
“At that moment, Rangers were a big club, with big players, playing in the Champions League.
“But Scottish football was tough, really tough. It was really physical, people got at you and I had to improve on that a lot. I think I did that to get to the level that the Premier League required of me.”
Arteta remained at Rangers for two years before spending a single season in his homeland with Real Sociedad.
The central midfielder made his debut in English football in 2005 for Everton, going on to make 208 appearances for the Toffees before joining the Gunners in the summer of 2011.
| Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £50 in free bets! |
|
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up with Paddy Power - Bet £10, Get £20! |
|
Make Your Prediction
Rangers - Motherwell
Rangers
Motherwell
Prediction Submitted
Most Popular Predictions
-
Rangers 2-0 Motherwell
- 14.15 %
-
Rangers 2-1 Motherwell
- 10.73 %
-
Rangers 3-0 Motherwell
- 9.76 %
Inside Goal.Com
-
Welbeck convinces Hodgson he is the man to lead the line
England beat Norway 1-0 at Wembley, with the Manchester United man hitting an impressive winner to stake his claim for a starting spot at Euro 2012
-
How England player's chances were affected by Belgium victory
Ashley Young all but secured his place in the starting line-up against France while captain Steven Gerrard put a good shift in. Joe Hart, however, needs to remain focused
-
In Pictures: The best and worst kits at Euro 2012
The European Championship is just around the corner and Goal.com distinguishes between the trendy and the passe at the prestigious tournament
-
Managerial merry-go-round keeps spinning as Lambert takes Villa job
The Scot officially left Norwich City on Saturday to become the second new boss in June, following the appointment of Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool on Friday
-
Hungary - Republic of Ireland Preview
Veteran Italian coach takes his Irish side to Újpest in Hungary for their last warm-up match before their highly-anticipated Euro 2012 opener against Group C rivals Croatia
