Bellerín: ‘When you leave a club like Arsenal, it’s scary. It hurts’

According to The Guardian, Héctor Bellerín has spoken openly about the emotional difficulty of leaving Arsenal, the club where he made his name. “When you leave a club like Arsenal, it’s scary. It hurts,” the Spanish full-back said, reflecting on his departure from the Emirates Stadium and the process of moving on.

Bellerín also spoke of his elation at seeing his former club end their title drought, and credited Mikel Arteta with helping him prolong his career. The Arsenal manager had a significant impact on him early on, as Bellerín recalled a formative conversation when he was 18 or 19.

Invited to Arteta’s house, Bellerín expected lunch or dinner. Instead, Arteta was sitting with a financial adviser and began asking the young player about his spending habits. “I was young, I’d just started to make money and spend money: on clothes, cars, the things we all do when you’re not really aware. I was pitching low. I felt embarrassed, ashamed, but I left with a lesson in humility and affection.”

“Mikel was the first player who showed me that I was important to him, that I mattered,” Bellerín said. “He demonstrates real care, if not through a hug. I said: ‘Thank you.’ He said: ‘If you do the same for a teammate one day I’m happy.’ The legacy he left is one I try to pass on so young players feel looked after and that’s an experience that defines Mikel very well.”

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