Mikel Arteta is one of the most promising young managers in world football. He is currently in charge of Arsenal, the club where he spent five years as a player and won two FA Cups. But could he be the next manager of the England national team? In this article, we will explore his life and career, and his strengths and weaknesses of becoming the Three Lions’ boss.
Arteta was born in San Sebastián, Spain, on 26 March 1982. He started playing football at a local club called Antiguoko, where he met his lifelong friend Xabi Alonso. He then joined Barcelona’s youth academy, but he never made it to the first team. He moved to Paris Saint-Germain on loan in 2001, where he played 31 games and scored two goals.
In 2002, he signed for Scottish giants Rangers for £6 million. He quickly became a fan favourite, scoring 12 goals in 50 appearances and helping the club win the league and cup double in his first season. He also scored a crucial penalty in the last minute of the final game against Dunfermline Athletic, which secured the title over Celtic on goal difference.
After two seasons in Scotland, Arteta returned to Spain to play for his hometown club Real Sociedad. However, he struggled to adapt to their style of play and only scored one goal in 15 games. He then joined Everton on loan in January 2005, where he rediscovered his form and became a key player for the Toffees. He signed permanently for Everton in July 2005 for £2 million.
Arteta spent six years at Everton, making 209 appearances and scoring 28 goals. He was voted Everton Player of the Season twice, in 2005-06 and 2006-07. He also earned a reputation as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, with his vision, passing, creativity and set-piece skills. He formed a formidable partnership with Tim Cahill in the middle of the park.
In August 2011, Arteta joined Arsenal for £10 million on deadline day. He was given the number 8 shirt and became an influential figure for the Gunners. He played 150 games and scored 16 goals for Arsenal, and captained the side from 2014 until his retirement in 2016. He won two FA Cups with Arsenal, scoring a penalty in the semi-final against Wigan Athletic in 2014 and assisting Alexis Sanchez’s goal in the final against Aston Villa in 2015.
Arteta never played for Spain’s senior national team, despite representing them at various youth levels. He is widely regarded as one of the best players of his generation to never earn a senior cap. He was eligible to play for England through residency rules, but he never pursued that option.
After hanging up his boots, Arteta became an assistant coach to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City in 2016. He learned from one of the best managers in the world and helped City win two Premier League titles, one FA Cup and three League Cups. He also developed his own tactical philosophy and style of play, based on possession, pressing and attacking football.
In December 2019, Arteta was appointed as Arsenal’s head coach, replacing Unai Emery. He signed a three-and-a-half-year contract and became Arsenal’s 20th full-time manager in their history. He inherited a squad that was struggling for form and confidence, and faced a huge challenge to turn things around.
Arteta’s first season at Arsenal was a mixed bag. He had some impressive results, such as beating Manchester City and Chelsea to win the FA Cup, and beating Liverpool on penalties to win the Community Shield. He also improved some players’ performances, such as Granit Xhaka, David Luiz and Bukayo Saka. However, he also had some disappointing results, such as finishing eighth in the league and losing to Olympiacos in the Europa League.
Arteta’s second season at Arsenal has been even more turbulent. He has faced criticism for his team selection, tactics and results. Arsenal have suffered their worst start to a league season since 1974-75, losing eight of their first 15 games and sitting 15th in the table at Christmas. They have also been knocked out of the League Cup by Manchester City and have scored only 12 goals in the league.
However, Arteta has also shown some signs of improvement recently, and Arsenal are going to be close to winning this season.