The international break has prompted several Arsenal players to speak out about their futures, bucking the trend that many players fall into while representing their national teams. Away from their clubs, players can often deliver some of the most candid conversations, addressing their futures outside of the club environment.
Julián Álvarez, for instance, caused uproar at Atlético Madrid with his comments during the FIFA World Cup and has had to undertake some damage control since his return. Arsenal’s players, however, have taken a completely different approach.
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Ben White has taken the opportunity to reaffirm his commitment to England, while Viktor Gyökeres has expressed his desire to remain at Arsenal, and Martín Zubimendi has also tackled the rumor mill head-on and set the record straight.
-Credit:Stuart MacFarlane, Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Mikel Merino is now the latest player to address his future while speaking to the media ahead of Spain’s game against Czechia. The Spaniard returned to Prague after starting for the Gunners in their victory over Slavia Praha last week in the UEFA Champions League.
When questioned about his limited playing time at Arsenal, he responded candidly, “Of course. What player wouldn’t like to play more minutes?” as per football.london.
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“If anyone is lucky to have this manager, it’s me. You’ll never hear me complain about a manager’s decision, but what I want is to play.”
Merino and his Spanish compatriot Zubimendi have predominantly found themselves coming off the substitutes’ bench this season rather than in the starting lineup. Nevertheless, Merino harbors no misconceptions about what the club demands from both him and his teammate.
“Not being on the pitch most of the time isn’t ideal for a player,” he said. “Arsenal is currently the best team in the world, and it’s very difficult to get minutes.
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“Now, we know what our roles are, and we’re both calm and eager to keep training hard to show that we can continue to be there.”
Yet the most compelling aspect of his discussion revolved around his mature outlook regarding this diminished playing time. After all, he’s vying for opportunities against some of the planet’s elite players like Declan Rice, Bruno Guimarães, and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
The 30-year-old, though, possesses a viewpoint shaped by his background and family experiences, drawing motivation from his father. The same father he honors each time he celebrates a goal with his signature corner flag gesture.
“It’s difficult to internalize that. We’re selfish in many cases and see football from an individual perspective,” he concluded.
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“But the fact that my father was a coach makes me see football differently. Those who finish the matches are the ones who win the championships. It’s often difficult to convince ourselves.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
