New Arsenal signing Mikel Arteta has spoken to Sky Sports News for the first time since his move to Arsenal. Here’s what he had to say about bidding the Goodison Park faithful farewell, his conversation with David Moyes, his excitement at playing Champions League football and his thoughts on replacing Cesc Fabregas.
On how the deal happened…
“I’m very happy to be going to a great club like Arsenal and on the other hand the last 24 hours have been hard saying good bye to everyone at Everton and seeing some of the reaction of people with whom I’ve shared so many good moments.”
“We knew a few days before that Arsenal had a big interest in me, but everything happened on the last day and basically at the last minute.”
On wanting to leave Everton…
“No, what I said is it’s true I met the manager and we had five minutes together where I said, ‘Gaffer, it’s the right moment for me. It’s a great opportunity, I’m going to play in the Champions League and I think the club is in a situation where they need to sell someone.’
“My point of view was that it was good for everyone. The Gaffer was fine, he said, ‘Mikel, I don’t want to lose you but I appreciate what you’ve done for me and I can’t stop you going now.’ I did it last year [stayed] but it was time to move on.”
On Everton owner Bill Kenwright…
“I know the chairman really well and I bet he doesn’t want to sell anyone. He is a big, big fan and he has put his life into Everton. He was devastated on the phone when I told him I was leaving. He said ‘Mikel I don’t want to lose you.’ But they had to in this moment. They don’t want to put the team and the club in a situation when in one or two years time this club is in bits.”
On leaving his mark at Everton…
“This is my family and I’ve seen with the reaction that people have with me that it was a proper family. That starts with people working on reception, the kit man, masseurs, the chef…everyone was devastated. It’s not on the football side, it’s more on the personal side so for me it’s really important that I know I have left a mark here on the club.”
On playing for Arsene Wenger…
“I know Arsenal’s philosophy is always having possession of the ball and to be a really nice passing team. I think I’m going to enjoy it a lot down there. I think it’s the type of football I like to play, so I can’t wait.”
On replacing Cesc Fabregas…
“No, I’m going there to help the team to make things better and to see if we can win something. Fabregas has been a terrific player, one of the best in the Premier League and [replacing him] is a big ask. What I want to do is start helping the team, start showing my abilities and see where we go from there.”
On playing in the Champions League…
“Yes, I have had the chance to play Champions League in previous years with Glasgow Rangers and I know what it’s like and it’s one of the parts that I’ve been missing big time. I can’t wait to have the chance to play again.”
WELCOME!
Judging by the reaction of the Everton fans, they seem to be pleased with the deal – saying he’s never reached the heights of a few seasons back. Suspect he’ll raise his game by not having to play alongside useless fucks like P. Neville. Not Cesc-standard, but a useful support to Jack and Aaron.
Offcourse they are saying that. If he’d stayed he would be their favourite player.
classy player, great spirit. welcome
you managed to cover all my thoughts about him in 5 words
Yep
Will fit in well, good to see premier league experience being added to the team, think Benayoun will be provide a good contribution as well.
wow, this guy sounds like real class, he wasn’t even with Everton as long as Cesc was with Arsenal and I haven’t read such nice things said from Cesc since his departure. I for one feel very blessed that we will receive Arteta’s services. I wish him all the best and I really look forward to seeing him play. To the Everton fans, please forgive him and Arsenal FC, I wish your team luck in the season, truly. I think Moyes is class and he doesn’t deserve what he is getting. And next time you see Rooney, give him a… Read more »
that’s also because of the media, at the moment stirring arsenal and arsenal fans seems like #1 opportunity, no matter what cost. cesc loves arsenal, he’s said that over twitter, but media don’t want fans to think that. also nasri, as much of a dickhead he is, he hasn’t actually had a go at arsenal, media just want it to seem that way… taking things out of context, don’t get sucked into it
I DO NOT listen to shit the media says, don’t trust anything that is printed. As for Cesc, he was always a fav of mine for his insight and his intelligence, especially his interviews. (Cesc it seems is a young Arteta) I just wish there had been something on the arsenal.com that expressed his views as Arteta did for everton, or did I miss it? I appreciate all Cesc did for AFC, just sad there wasn’t a statement from him, and his appreciation for all AFC did for him. I don’t doubt he loves AFC, it is just refreshing to… Read more »
Mate, they are a few key interviews with Cesc after the move that show how Arsenal is very much one of his two loves.
And if you follow his twitter he is always full of support for us post-move. He really doesn’t have to do that, but he does because he genuinely loves the club.
Class player, class person. Much like this fella Mikel.
He can’t help talking about the Arsenal, since he’s now a Barca player and that’s all they do when they’re not whining at officials.
WELCOME ARTETA,
A PURE GENTLEMAN,HIS COMMENTS ABOUT EVERTON,THIS IS NICE TO HEAR ,EVEN THOUGH HE IS LEAVING HE IS STILL GRATEFUL TO EVERTON.
UNLIKE SOME PLAYERS THAT HAVE LEFT US NASRI IN PARTICULAR.
ARSENAL IS A CLUB THAT APPRECIATES PLAYERS WHOM SHOW GOOD TEAM SPIRIT NOT WHEN YOU LEAVE YOU SLAGGING OFF YOUR FORMER TEAM.
WELCOME ARTETA AGAIN,MAY YOU SUCCEED .
caps lock or SHOUTING?
Clearly shouting. Unless s/he doesn’t capitalise the first letter of a sentence. lIKE THIS.
And we are very glad to have you here in North London. Can’t wait to see the skills. Now your at a proper club the sky’s the limit. Thanks for dropping your wages. Shows real class. Be lucky
I’m really liking his attitude. Very gracious in the way he has left Everton, unlike a certain overpaid, arrogant French shitbag, or big Danish streak of piss that can’t wait to badmouth the club and its fans.
I hope we, as a club, can live up to his expectations, and he, ours.
I like his attitude. Real class act. Welcome aboard Mikel!
I like him too. A class guy, full of grace unlike Clichy, Nasri, Bendtner, Adebayor and Toure. He’s the sort of player we need. Good passer of the ball, physical from Moyes school.
He’ll help the youngsters, Jack, Aaron and Frimpong to develop.
My team for Swansea is
Tech 9
Sagna
TV
Per
Santos
Mikel
Jach (if fit)
Frimpong
TW14
RvP
Benayoun/Arshavin
Toure hasn’t said peep about us since he left to my knowledge. The others, however, all have and can kindly find a fire to die in.
Arteta will fit in perfectly – after all, we’re the new Everton.
…………….”after all, we’re the new Everton.”
Indeed… :-/
Come on, lads. Chins up.
The best thing about Arteta is that he’s not in the Spanish national side so he can’t get injured during interlulls. It appears he just gives cracking interviews instead
nb52 is a complete na$ri. mr im the best striker in the world, go fuck ya self, we never want to see you back in a gunners shirt again anyway. mouthy prick.
Very true. Such an arrogant gum-chewing fuckhead with the touch of Sarah Jessica Parker/Phar Lap
The latest edition of the Oxford Dictionary brings the inclusion of the new word Na$sriIsaCunt – which can also be found under NIC. It is an adjective often used to describe an act of betray, where the primary motivation for betrayl is large amounts of money and sodomy from a 6foot5 bosnian.
Actually, if it wasn’t for City, it would have been for United, or Inter. I don’t think money was the main factor. Maybe on his destination, not on the fact he wanted to leave the club.
You’re kidding aren’t you – “money not a factor” – don’t tell me you are swallowing his “I want to win trophies” cack!?!
When we were in with the (brief – pause to wipe tear) chance of winning four trophies last season was he banging on Wenger’s door asking to sign his contract?
That’ll be a “Hell no!”
Yeh, it was all about the money.
If it wasn’t why would he have started playing like a retarded donkey bollock
for the second half of the season. He blatantly wanted to go to City for that one reason and probably even started playing like shit, whilst they were tapping him up, so he could have guaranteed Champions League with those slimey light blue cunts.
talk about biting the hand that feeds you. He ripped it off with his big stupid teeth. The cunt.
Yeh it was about money and money only. Would he have signed for someone else and taken a pay cut like Arteta if he just wanted to win trophies? No fucking chance. Bucktoothed cunt….
Never heard Arteta speak before. It bodes well that (judging by the way he speaks what is for him a foreign language) our new playmaker has brain.
Also, it’s just nice that he isn’t a scumbag.
Not a scumbag by any stretch, but he can be a spiteful cunt when it ain’t going his way…
…this is a good thing:)
Nasri is a Cunt.
He just really likes cones.
Yeah welcome on board Mikel hope to see more of your top class act for the gooners
Still no picture on the website of him in the Arsenal kit. I’m scared of waking up and this all being a dream and we actually bought back Louis Boa Morte.
Park scored hat-trick for Korea against Lebanon. Easy opposition, but you can see his finishing is good. (1st, 2nd, 4th goals in video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0PDrHnrDxc
Welcome on board mate hope you succeed with Arsenal fc, insha Allah.
there is no god, sorry mate
except for dennis, you mean?
Why all this hatred of Nasri?
If any of you were stuck in a company that was going nowhere and was led by a deluded, senile madman; and were then offered a tripple-your-wages deal by a bigger bussiness where money was no object; what would you do?
City definitely isn’t bigger than Arsenal, not even in our league a few years ago.
[…] move on to the little posts offered to us. Arteta has given his first interview for Arsenal, and it contains lots of pleasantries which have been repeated since the confirmation of his […]
As an Everton season ticket holder I really hope he does well for you. Classy player on and off the pitch who unfortunately never looked the same post-injury – hence why most of us were content to see him leave, thereby significantly reducing our wage bill. Very much hope what we saw from him last season was a temporary hangover from the injury and that he ends his career with some silverware – he deserves it.
Good to hear mate. wish you guys all the best for the season. (except when u play us off course). And the one thing that the injuries surely wouldnt of taken away is his free kick abilities. i havent seen an arsenal player score a free kick since denilson stood over the ball whilst all the fans sat there going WTF is he doing? and boom. slotted. which obviously was 1 in a million.
Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I can’t remember the last time he hit two decent corners or free kicks in a row – it got that way people were screaming for Baines to shove him off the ball whenever we were awarded either (which, Baines being Baines, didn’t happen. They ended up taking it in turns to take free kicks). He lost his ability to beat the first man at corners (very Neville-esque in his delivery) and generally whacked the wall with free kicks – it’s a very lazy media line that he remains a specialist… Read more »
P.S. Thanks for the best wishes for the season – same to you. I used to love watching Arsenal at Goodison years ago when we never stood a chance against you – I used to sit back and just enjoy watching you play. Sadly I had lost that mindset by the time it came to the 6-1 spanking on the opening day of the 09-10 season!