16 May 2024 , 17:02
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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has heaped praise on Mauricio Pochettino, insisting there's "nobody better" than the Chelsea boss.
The two Premier League managers have a bond that dates back to their days at PSG, where they were team-mates. Arteta, who was just starting his career while in the French capital, credits Pochettino with being a guiding force during his early years.
"Mauricio was like a shield for me," Arteta revealed in an interview with BBC Sounds. "He was protecting me from everything. He was giving me so much confidence."
Arteta, who joined PSG on loan in 2001 as a young talent from Barcelona, found a mentor in Pochettino, an established defender who signed from Espanyol in the same window. The pair quickly became friends, with Pochettino taking the role of a protective figure for Arteta, reports Football London.
"He's one of the most [influential players I've played with]," Arteta admitted earlier this year. "I was 17 or 18 in Paris with no experience in professional football. He doesn't like me saying it but to me he was like a father, he took me under his arm, he gave me incredible advice and protected me, he inspired me and I learned so much in our two years together."
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In 2002, Arteta's loan spell ended, and he returned to Barcelona before moving to Rangers. After two years in Scotland, he joined Real Sociedad and then made a career-defining move to Everton in 2004, before later moving on to Arsenal in 2011.
After retiring in 2016, Arteta joined Manchester City after agreeing to become the club's assistant coach under Pep Guardiola - his old Barcelona team-mate. There, the two developed an almost telepathic connection, and Arteta claims all they had to do was glance at one another to know what action to take.
Arteta (L) shared a dressing room with Pochettino (centre) for 18 months at PSG (Offside / LEquipe)"We had unbelievable chemistry," he said, adding: "and not only on the football side. People would talk about the tactical side, [but] he was on the human level. You just looked at him, just laugh and connect, and then there was the eye contact.
"The meaning on that eye contact was clear of what we had to do or what we were thinking in that moment. We were very lucky. We had some great staff there with very close relationships. It was a very united group and it was fascinating to be part of building a new era in English football and how you do that. I'm so grateful for it."
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