Rio Ferdinand has been full of praise for William Saliba after Gary Neville compared the Arsenal youngster to him.
Frenchman Saliba, 21, spent the bulk of the past three seasons out on loan after joining from Saint-Etienne as a teenager. Marseille had been keen to complete a permanent deal for the centre-back, but Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta demonstrated his faith in the player by starting him against Crystal Palace in the Gunners' Premier League opener.
Saliba's performance on his league debut earned him high praise from Neville, who compared him to "a young Rio Ferdinand". The former Man United centre-back has now chimed in, and the response has been a positive one.
"I don't know if he needed it [his loan at Marseille], but I think what happened when he went away, it humbled him," Ferdinand said on his Vibe with Five YouTube channel. "He came to Arsenal and you expect to play.
"He was talked about being that good but then they said no, go away, get some experience. He was Young Player of the Season in Ligue 1, last season, and was phenomenal in that sense, comes back and said 'Nah, I'm not going to right-back, Ben White get to right-back, I'm going to play centre-half.'"
After stints on loan at Saint-Etienne and Nice, Saliba played 36 times for Marseille in Ligue 1 last term. He helped the team finish second under Jorge Sampaoli, earning the young player of the year award in the process, and also picked up his first senior caps for France.
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Speaking to Sky Sports after the win at Selhurst Park, Saliba made his feelings clear. "It's been a long time I've waited for this moment, I'm so happy to start my first game with a win and a clean sheet," he said.
"It's never easy, you have to give your maximum and it was good. It's the first game, it's important to win for the confidence and to start the season well."
Saliba's inclusion in the line-up at Selhurst Park was proof of Arteta coming good on his word. While the former Manchester City coach allowed the defender to spend time out on loan, he also made it clear this summer that the Frenchman was part of his plans.
"We always have a plan, and when we have to execute, that's a different story, and football is a really funny game, but we are really happy to have him," Arteta said in July. "You can see the way he's adapted, the way he's matured, and he's playing well, and we are delighted to have him."
