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Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes has hailed Mikel Arteta's leadership, admitting he'd have loved to have been a teammate of the Gunners boss.
Arteta has overseen an impressive managerial reign at the Emirates since being appointed in 2019. The Spaniard has rebuilt the north Londoners into credible title challengers and they currently sit top of the Premier League.
However, Arteta was also a silky playmaker during his playing days, including a spell which saw him captain Arsenal. He bagged 16 goals and 11 assists in 150 games from 2011 to 2016.
Gabriel praised his boss for his leadership qualities which he thinks the Spaniard still possesses. He told the Premier League's YouTube channel:
"I think he was a great leader. You can see it by the way he reacts in training and during games. I think he has kept that with him, maybe even more so nowadays."
The Brazilian defender also would have liked to have played alongside Arteta:
"I wish I could have played with him because he has this amazing energy."
Arteta won two FA Cups with Arsenal during his playing days. It's somewhat surprising that he was unable to earn an international cap with Spain. He also became a fan favorite during his time at Everton, bagging 35 goals and 36 assists in 209 games.
Ex-England boss Fabio Capello reportedly tried to get Arsenal's Arteta to switch nationality
According to The Independent, former England manager Fabio Capello sounded out Arteta on whether he'd consider switching to British citizenship in 2010. This would allow the then-Everton midfielder to become a Three Lions international.
That didn't end up happening with Arteta finishing his playing career without making a senior international appearance. The FA ruled that the Spaniard was not eligible for the English national team, thus putting an end to the saga.
However, one England legend who pushed for Arteta to switch nationality at the time was Liverpool's Steven Gerrard. The former Three Lions captain said that same year (via talkSPORT):
"You want to play with the best players, and if it makes the England squad better, of course I'd like to see it. I think it happens to most national teams [that they pick non-nationals], but it's up to him if he wants to make himself available."
Arsenal's boss did appear 12 times for Spain's U21 national team, scoring two goals. He would have faced competition in England's midfield if he had switched nationality from the likes of Gerrard, Frank Lampard, and Michael Carrick.
