Hector Bellerin recently spoke at the Oxford Union, which is, according to them, the world’s most prestigious debating society, with an unparalleled reputation for bringing international guests and speakers to Oxford.
He spoke about his career, life as a footballer, his fashion sense, Catalan independence and much more. It’s a very interesting watch, check it out below.
He’s a smart guy, and we love Hector round these parts.
Impressive, intelligent guy. Should get nowhere near the criticism he gets.
What? Has anyone here been watching him at all this season?? He has been diabolical. And I don’t know what is worse, his comment about Arsenal fans making money off game or his comment about Alexis Sanchez being too much of a winner. He’s a perfect example of an overpaid believing his own hype footballer who is underneath it all a rich kid living in a bubble not understanding fans frustrations. Would he said that about Alexis in Adams’ generation? Adams would have torn him a new one. What kind of a sportsman says the reason he doesn’t get along… Read more »
Never mind that he criticised his own fans for having an opinion? Calling them not real fans?You don’t have to agree with anyone’s opinions but it doesn’t mean they are not fans. Their tv subscriptions, memberships, tickets, merchandise and beers and pies and whatever else pay his wages. Clubs exist because of fans. Yet everyone on this site up votes this video? Despite the fact that this site operates in the same space as AFTV? He represents the detachment of the modern day footballer from reality. Ok good for him that he has an opinion but I don’t particularly care… Read more »
That’s not what he said at all though is it? He said if you’re a fan, how can your success be based on your team’s failure. Which is a valid point. I don’t watch AFTV, so correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m assuming a video ranting and raving after a shit performance gets a lot more views and publicity than a happy review of a comfortable win (similar to how Blogs says this site gets more views/reaction after a shit performance). So his experience of AFTV is presumably just the negative side. You say he represents the detachment of… Read more »
Exactly. I went and watched AFTV once after an abysmal performance a couple of months ago for the first time and even tho I was literally friggin angry it made me feel uncomfortable. It even put my anger and frustration into perspective and I couldn’t continue watching it. To me it felt exactly like it was feeding of my anger and thus the teams failure. Are AFTV’s videos gonna be as successful when we win shit? Fans are intitled too their opinion and can vent and voice it anyway they like and at the same time everybody else can choose… Read more »
Actually: You could have Hector saving a dog outa burning building, thus injuring himself but still score 1 goal, assist 2, donate his entire wages to a poor family whilst launching the next Flaminiesque scheme to save the world with biofuel and succeeding and people would still say:
” He’s a perfect example of an overpaid believing his own hype footballer who is underneath it all a rich kid living in a bubble not understanding fans frustrations”
What a great watch. Comes over really well…great attitude for someone so young. Hope he stays with us for the rest of his career.
Extremely articulate young lad with a great attitude. Boggles me that any Arsenal fan could ever doubt his place in this team or our future. Could very well be a 100m+ value player right now in this insane transfer market, and that’s despite the mess he’s been surrounded by at Arsenal. He’s 22 and not close to his prime. Gooner fans need to be steadfast and appreciate having a talent like him in our ranks. With his mindset and ability, I hope to see him become a future captain of Arsenal football club.
Lol hardly even worth an eighth of that amount
It’s not really worth replying, but I’ll go for it: you really think Bellerin would go for 12-15 million, in a market where Kyle Walker goes for 45 million? If you do, you know nothing about football; if you don’t, you are just a troll.
So happy that he plays for us. Speaks so well for his age!
I saw a tweet from Bellerin recently seeking out a young fan who was holding up some handmade sign and the shit that followed that genuinely impressive act of human kindness was disgusting. The same ‘fans’ that abuse (not criticise) a 22yo would be the first to lose their shit if he ever moved to Barça. He seems a genuinely good guy and we’ve all been in a situation where we aren’t the best right back in the world, haven’t we.
Agree on Arsenal fan tv
I’m at work and therfore not able to watch the video. But have just seen that Robbie has uploaded a video about Hectors comments regarding AFTV too. Can somebody please tell me what he said about this topic? Thx in advance!
He basically said that AFTV makes all their money off stirring the pot when Arsenal lose and he questioned if they were even real fans of the club.
Which is clearly bollocks, even if you disagree with the opinions of people on there (and most of it is the same as you would get if you sat in the pub with other fans after the match).
They have played an important role in making a us a circus of a club in the last five years. Do you seriously believe that it is a great thing to do? Not Arsenal fans watch it. It is just the rival fans who watch it and have a laugh!
You can have platform for fans. Arseblog is one and we all love it.
Thx guys, have seen it by now. Completely agree with him. Been saying for years that part of the reason we’re failing so regularly is the toxic atmosphere in and around the club. A real FanTv would try to improve that, because that is what they can actually influence and what is their very own part of the whole game. They are always saying Arsenal fans deserve so much more that what they are getting but if we are honest, if we compare the atmosphere in our stadium with others in the country, let alone Europe it’s quite poor. But… Read more »
He was clearly trying to get Hector to come around for an interview with those tools at the end of his speech. Perfect way to increase their PR rating. Absolute nut jobs.
I also watch AFTV regularly. Other than DT, I like everybody else. It is a bit of my Arsenal comedy show after games. Robbie has Ty who is more optimistic about Arsenal than anybody here.
The reason Arsenal is failing so regularly is the style of play, the stagnant polices and the determination to continue steadfastly on a path that is not improving the results.
But, at last there are signs of changes, and maybe, just maybe the club will start to improve it’s style of play(which has become non-existent).
No one discounts the things done for the club by the many who have done these things in the past, but football games are about the last few game(s), and people will comment on that, without forgetting the past.
Faster than everyone, great touch and control and also v bright. Would love to have him at Arsenal throughout his career.
Good guy.
Genuinely impressed at his thoughtfulness and grounding .
Fantastic interview, intriguing questions even from the crowd. Clearly an intelligent individual, and his love of Arsenal and London is clear. Also, I love his response to the Arsenal Fan TV question; they really are just looking to make success from Arsenal’s failure, which doesn’t make them the great fan’s their fanbase thinks they are!
Also can’t stand how Robbie is always bragging about him going to every match when he’s critizised. Dude, your whole business model is about going to football games. You earn more than enough money by going to football games to go to football games. So what do you want to tell us with that?
The more arsenal fail the more AFTV become popular, and the are very popular right now (worldwide)…that tells you alot about how fuk*d the club is at the moment, Hector response was smart but completely bullsh*t, if he really cares about the fans and the club’s reputation then he and his team mates should put more effort and start winning and wining big, maybe then the circus on AFTV will finally end.
And for those who criticize AFTV.. the people who appear there are supporters like you , share your love for the club and mostly have the same opinions as you they just get too emotional after a defeat and AFTV sadly but understandably is the place they choose to show their frustration , but you here are willing to attack a fellow gooner than to criticize an under performing player who said that he only cares of the (nut job) manager’s opinion on him not the fans (this is not an exact quote but close to what he said..Google it)… Read more »
And by the way we are sixth in the table with absolutely no hope for a top four, and with a little chance of winning any silverware.
Have some some respect for the club (and for yourself if that matter) and stop praising the lad
Some really nuanced answers from Héctor there, especially the one about players moving to China, but my personal favourite was his answer to the two hardest players he has played against: Neymar….and Kieron Gibbs!!
Very well grounded fellow. “Assist me ‘Ector!”
Refreshingly candour. Liked how he dealt with the Q&A session. Hector reminds me of Cesc minus the passion but much more grounded and realistic. He will make a great career wherever he plays. Full credit to Arsenal and the coaching staff for nurturing such a fantastic talent.
At 22 he has 2 FA cups and 2 Charity shields with us. He is on a good way.
I’m watching it again. <3 <3 <3
Bellerin is amazing no doubt. But I just wish we had another RB as well so he could get a chance to rest his feet now and then. Player fatigue is a real thing
I wonder how much that watch cost…
I can’t believe I could listen to a football player speak for 45 mins! He seems to have a very balanced outlook without being boring.
Also interesting to see he backs Arseblog’s outlook on pronouncing names like Bellerin and Barcelona without the Spanish inflection.
Me too, can’t believe I actually watched it for 45 minutes
Excellent interview. I really enjoyed that, as it’s a much better way of getting to know a player (or anyone, really) than most interviews. Both the questions and answers were varied and interesting, which made highly entertaining.
Great interview but have to say I disagree on the Arsenal Fan TV comments. It gives fans a platform for their opinions, which they are absolutely entitled to. These fans give their hard earned money following the club up and down the country, to Sweden, to Belarus, to Stoke. Don’t agree on ‘using failure for profit’ view either. Win, lose or draw the videos are uploaded, it’s not Arsenal Fan TV’s fault who watches what. I met the guy who founded it, Robbie, once and he is a nice fella. He never intended it to become so big, it was… Read more »
“Round these parts” got to love blogs
Interesting interview for a footballer to give. Personally, I agree with him about Arsenal Fan TV – they are selling (a performed) spectacle and seeking something to drive views; angry rants over poor results do that better than praise for good performances. I stopped watching over a year ago & I don’t know any Arsenal fan who does anymore (though I suppose those who get on camera watch themselves). I wonder if their largest audience these days are fans of other clubs?
Though I think if Arsenal were performing better; we wouldnt have AFTV. Results fuel the fire
I’d like to think that, but the present format earns them very good money from all the Non-gooners watching for a laugh… So I think that even if we were in $itehs position they would seek out (or be sought out by) the glass half empty guys that always exist.
He should be taking on players more with the speed he’s got, I feel like he holds back out of fear of losing the ball.
That was fantastic. A really cool guy that sees the bigger picture.
Well done Hector
Very impressed with this interview. Too good of a lad, will probably end up at Barca.
all these people disparaging folks who talk on AFTV, is it not exactly the same thing that goes on here when we lose a game. I have read some of the most critical comments on ARsene and arsenal on this blog when things are bad, same for when we win a game, people are hyping our players.The exact same thing is what AFTV is doing, people praise players when they play well, and insult them when they play rubbish. Why should the folks who spend their time and money to go to these games not have a platform to vent… Read more »
Yes there is a lot of dislike for AFTV, i wonder if it is not something else entirely.
I’ll leave them to discover what that is that is buried inside them that causes so much dislike for someone else doing something well.
I really enjoy watching AFTV because it gives fans a voice; not just tv fans, but those who travel home and away, in the UK and beyond. True fans, dedicating their life supporting Arsenal through thick and thin. It’s the perfect antidote to the choreographed, doctored stuff coming from the official website. Full marks to Robbie for setting it up, just as I admire Blogs for everything he does. The point of issue arising from Bellerin’s remarks is his implied reference to AFTV that it makes money from negativity. I don’t expect Bellerin to watch it, but anyone who does… Read more »
Good point. And the professional pundits don’t make wages from being negative about the Arsenal? That is the world we live in. Make your choice.
Anyway, I guess I would rather read everyone’s comments here than watch off the cuff comments on video. Normally, much more thought provoking.