Former Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey is not surprised to see Mikel Arteta succeeding at the Gunners. Arteta has faced his fair share of adversity during his time as Arsenal boss, but the Gunners fans and board are now reaping the rewards for their patience and trusting the process.
Not many people in football know Arteta better than Ramsey, with the Welshman playing alongside the Spaniard for a five-year period at Arsenal. Now playing for French side Nice, Ramsey - who is still a big Arsenal fan - has been following the Gunners' and Arteta's progress from afar.
Ramsey and Arteta made up Arsenal's engine room in the early 2010s, and the Welshman believes the 40-year-old showed that he would be a good coach during his playing days at the Emirates Stadium. While he refused to get drawn into making any claims about the title race, he former Gunners midfielder also says it's a very 'exciting' time for Arsenal.
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"I know Mikel from playing with him in my time at Arsenal," Ramsey told Mirror Football. "You could always tell that he was going to become a manager one day.
"I got asked about this just as he moved to Arsenal, but I always knew that it would be a great decision for them. Now you're seeing him thrive, really, and Arsenal have produced some really good performance this season already.
"They're top of the league, they've qualified for Europe [the knockout stages] and things are looking really good for them at the moment.
"Obviously there's still a long way to go, but right now - at this moment - I'm really happy as an ex-Arsenal player and a fan still. For the fans, as well, it must be a really exciting time."
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