Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta said he would have changed his international allegiance from Spain to England during his playing career.
The 42-year-old spent 11 years of his football career in England through spells with Everton and Arsenal.
Arteta – who has never played at international level – played in the same generation when Spain, the country of his birth, had Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, David Silva, Santi Cazorla, Xabi Alonso and Marcos Senna.
In 2010, when Spain won the World Cup, then-England manager Fabio Capello and the Football Association tried to turn Arteta into an England international.
“I was thinking about it the other day,” Arteta said on Friday. “I was actually talking to Edo about it during lunch. I was going to do it. I feel very proud about it.
“I was very realistic, when I looked at the players Spain had at that time, and the scale of the challenge they faced. You have to know your level, and that is very important. Look in the mirror. In the end, it did not happen. But it was good, at least to think “In the matter.”
Arteta’s lack of a move to England was due to stricter rules around players with dual citizenship compared to those currently in place.
The former midfielder had been playing in England for five years but was capped by Spain’s under-21s, an obstacle that doesn’t exist now – as seen with Declan Rice, who has made over 50 appearances for England despite playing for the Irish youth national team. . And first team three times.
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“It was okay. If you can’t do it, you can’t do it. I wasn’t willing to fight against the world.” Arteta said.
In response to a question about his views on a foreign coach taking charge of the England national team after Thomas Tuchel was appointed coach of the England national team, he added: “I understand the opinions and feelings. It is the responsibility of the English Association to say that the first candidate is only English managers or the candidates are any manager from any country and we We choose the best at the moment.
“I understand that some people might be sad about not having an English coach. History tells you how important that is too.
I think I would be very proud too because a lot of managers and a lot of people would do anything to be an England manager. This is related to how we are treated in this country as foreigners. How much we love the passion, respect, history and the way things are done in this country. I can personally say that you feel very connected to where you are even if you are not from here. “I think there are very few countries that can say that.”
“I sound English, I’ve been here a long time. I’ll tell you now, the feeling I get, for me, this is like home. I’ve been here for 22 years. I have that feeling about it because I always feel respected, welcomed and inspired by this country and the history of football and how it’s done.” “Dealing with you every day, I think that’s something you should be really proud of as a country.”
Arsenal has four players who played for the England national team (Bukayo Saka, Rice, Raheem Sterling and Ben White). Saka and Rice were in the final squad this month, while Sterling and White have not joined the squad since the 2022 World Cup.
Asked what Tuchel’s appointment might mean for his England internationals, Arteta added: “They (Arsenal’s England internationals) will learn a lot. He’s one of the best managers in the world in my opinion, because of the way his team is being prepared. It’s a very exciting time.”
“I spoke to a few of the players and they had a smile on their faces right away. That’s a good sign.”
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(Stuart Macfarlane/Arsenal via Getty Images)
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