Aaron Ramsey says Mikel Arteta was always destined to become a manager having been impressed by the Arsenal boss during their playing days together.
The pair starred in the Gunners midfield for the entirety of Arteta’s five years in the squad, before he hung up his boots and pursued a career in the dugout.
Ramsey said: “You could see his leadership qualities and the way that he handled himself was second to none.
“What he is doing now, definitely, you could see he was always going to be a manager one day, the way he thought and saw the game and how intense he was as well.
“It is absolutely unbelievable what he has done there, what they are doing at the moment.”
Arteta, 41, took his coaching badges with the FA of Wales and newly-appointed Welsh captain Ramsey revealed their conversations about the prestigious academy.
“We used to talk about it and he would tell me how impressed he was with the Welsh setup, their methods and the way that they go about things,” he noted.
“They have done a fantastic job in producing some top managers and a lot of people are coming through that programme at the moment.”
Ramsey, now playing in France with Nice, said it would be “absolutely great” if old club Arsenal went all the way under Arteta and won this year’s Premier League title.
"It is still a massive part of me,” he added. “I spent 10, 11 years there and for them to go on and win the league, I'm as much a fan as anybody.
“I still know so many players and members of staff there. The fans deserve it.”
