"I was very inexperienced in both football and life, he tells FourFourTwo when quizzed about his arrival in north London. I feel that the UK made me an adult and a professional, experienced player. Most of my growth happened in London. I was really lucky that the years I spent there, I had great team-mates and coaches, and opportunities to play top-level football. That was probably the most important part of my development as a person and as a player."
"I feel very nostalgic about it, he continues. I've been receiving so much love from Arsenal fans lately, which is beautiful. The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. I went to London 18 months ago and bumped into loads of Arsenal fans. Even in Barcelona when I go to music festivals, there are always people wearing Arsenal shirts. The interactions I have with them truly fill me with joy. There are no negative thoughts at all about my experience over there, even though I went through tough times."
Hector Bellerin moved from Barcelona's La Masia to Arsenal at 16 and debuted at 18 in September 2013 as a substitute at West Brom in a League Cup match. He made over 200 first-team appearances across nine years, winning three FA Cups under Arsene Wenger and later playing under Mikel Arteta following Unai Emery's brief tenure. He credits the UK, and London specifically, with his maturation as a person and professional, citing strong teammates, coaches and playing opportunities. Now 30 and playing for Real Betis in Spain, he remains nostalgic and grateful for continued fan affection despite earlier challenges.
Read at www.fourfourtwo.com
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