Matteo Guendouzi has admitted that he joined Arsenal because of his love for legends Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira.
Guendouzi signed from Lorient over the summer and, at just 19 years old, has caught the eye with his energetic midfield performances. He is the latest in a long line of Frenchman to ply their trade at Arsenal, and the midfielder has said that Henry and Vieira’s history at the north London club made the decision easier to join the side.
“Growing up, I watched other teams and I fell in love with Arsenal. I wasn’t really interested in posters but I saw many, many videos,” he told L’Equipe. Players like Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira made me love the club and I dreamt of going there.
“When I see the Emirates and the statue of Henry, I think back to those videos. From the moment Arsenal made an approach, everything was clear for me. I’m not going to lie, I thought it would happen later in my career. But joining such a club at 19, any player would like that.”
Guendouzi has started five of Arsenal’s six Premier Leaguematches so far this season, and played 33 minutes in their 4-2 Europa League win over Vorskla.