Born in San Sebastián, journeyed through Barcelona while he made his first senior team appearance for the team in 1999, but tour France with Paris Saint-Germain in 2001, as he continue his traveled sequence in Scotland with Rangers – where he began to have his taste of footballing success in 2002 through 2004, before returning back home to Real Sociedad.
The cognitive Arteta will however began to make name for himself in England, the Spanish midfield orchestrator was one of his team dimensional and lynchpin in play. The Spaniard was a cog for the David Moyes’ Everton sides as well as Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal where he later won multiple FA Cup and have the luxury of playing the prestigious Champions League matches.
The midfielder might have represented is country through multiple under age level competitions, but his inability to represent Spain at senior level will always be with him as something he wish he had the opportunity to do throughout his career. Perhaps he might get the chance while he is a coach right as he is currently the manager of A North London team, Arsenal FC.
Although, he quietly and quickly rose in rank as a manager of big club like Arsenal, but after his retirement, Arteta was quickly made an assistant manager to one of the greatest coach in history of the game, Pep Guardiola at Manchester City in 2016 where he muster the practical advancement in man management and tactical glamour that he muster to win two honors for his current club, Arsenal in his first year as a manager.
However despite having a torrid season in the last premier league campaign, the manager will hoping to gap the North London club back to their Champions League pedigree and according to the PowerPlay ranking, Mikel Arteta team is ranked to finish on seventh position at the end of the incoming campaign with 80/1 odds behind Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool, United, Leicester City, and Spurs.
Early life
From nobody to a global icon is such a fairy tales to behold for a local boy that was born on March 26, 1982 at a coastal city of San Sebastián in Spain and till this day, no media house had get hold of his parent identity which he might deliberately kept out of the watchful eye of ever brazing bloggers.
However the Arsenal bid was raised in his birth city were grew up with among his peer and unknown family but in his early days as a toddler, the magician suffered a heart problem which will not hinder his love and affection for the game he fell in love with when he was eight years old.
In fact, his parent find a way to keep the little magician healthy while he continue to love and feel the passion he had seen in football at such a tender age despite the his heart condition as no so many doctor have solution to his health defect.
In early 1991, Mikael Arteta Amatriain join a local youth club, Antiguoko, to horn his passion for football in his city of birth, San Sebastián and it was this place that the young Arteta found solace and purpose in the game as he horn and polish his techniques, and finesse as he broad himself for a a career that will take him far and beyond the coast of Spain and to the shore of the world at large.
However, after a little spell, the young Spaniard will began to form a bond with one of the Spanish great passer, Xabi Alonso, as they both alter each other to be better and it was obvious of the career that is ahead of the duo with which there passing range and technicalities were superb at such an early rather of their development while they help their local team to different victories as the team began to rack up an impressive win from one tournament to other.
But the duo will go on their separate way when Arteta opts for Barcelona and his friend made a way to Real Sociedad.
However, no so much story the early life of the North London manger is available! This, his formal education is quite blurry but his impressive career is thus a standard story for the local of San Sebastián.
Early career and life at Barcelona
At such a tender age, the innate quality that has been horn and fine tune at Antiguoko became a pedestal of what Barcelona opt to have at 15 years old for the local and many has speculated the fact that the detailed midfielder will eventually become a super star.
And like any other story, Arteta began his footballing journey at Barcelona where he rose through the rank until he reach his Barcelona pinnacle at Barcelona-B as he wasn’t opportune to claim the senior team rank with the rank despite his enormous potential.
Although, many had tipped him to reach that pinnacles but so has many tipped the young gun making their way to Barcelona youth system. But, as he failed to break into the team’s senior rank, Arteta went out on loan to the French capital club, Paris Saint-Germain in December, 2000 where he would spend one and half year of his career and made his champions league debut.
In fact, PSG welcome the chance of Arteta playing for them permanently, but the Spaniard moved to Scotland when an impressive and more financial deal that Barcelona couldn’t refuse came from Rangers in March 2002 but the midfield maestro had to complete his season with the PSG.
Rangers’ life and success genesis
While he was unable to move to Glasgow immediately after he sign for the Scottish giant club in March 2002, the Spaniard quickly established himself as a first team regular while he enjoy success in his first season also as his debut goal and last match day penalty conversion proved enough for the Glasgow team to secure Scottish their local treble.
However, his second season was more impressive than the first one in terms of his goal involvement but their inability to win anything and the physicality of the league might have prompt his return to Spain where he relish his idea of playing alongside his childhood mate.
But, the departure of Alonso while he was on the verge of joining Sociedad mean his dream are shattered and couldn’t really established himself in the squad as he started only three matches through the half season. Thus, his move to Merseyside team in January of 2005, was more of a relieved to a near frustrating at his hometown but Arteta in the heart of Toffees was the genesis of his rise to stardom.
New breathe of life at Everton
After his torrid time at San Sebastián’s Real Sociedad, Arteta quickly establish himself as of his new club first choice midfielder while, his new coach, David Moyes gave him all his trust Togo’s confident which set his tone for excellence stay at the Goodison park.
Arteta enjoying six and a half successful years at Everton. He was instrumental to the attacking template of the Toffees intent. In fact, he was the base of the nearly qualification to UEFA Champion League, only to be beaten by Villarreal in the last qualifying match.
More so, he won series of individual award from the Everton fan, viewer appreciation, league and other bodies that felt the important of the Spaniard to Everton.
However, due to series of injury and dip in form, the San Sebastián born midfielder began to loose his confidence and approach to all matches. But as he began to regain his confidence toward the end of his last spell at the Merseyside, the former Barcelona player moved to Arsenal in a reported deal that worth around 10 million pounds on August 31, 2011.
Career ending and Arsenal
After leaving Everton, Arteta said “I am 29 years old so I haven’t got much time left to take a chance like this one. I have done my best for Everton” half a month later, he expressed that the soul in Everton’s changing room is the ‘best in football’.
In fact, the Toffees had initially rejected the Arsenal proposal but the Scots quickly had a change of mind and believed not to stand in his midfielder way, while he thought of not keeping any unsettled player in his team after hand in a transfer request.
I’m in Arsenal, the former Ranger playmaker began to enjoy life while he rose in rank after the departure of the then Arsenal skipper, Robin Van Persie as he was named the vice captain.
However, he quickly established a fearsome partnership with the likes of Santi Cazorla as the Spaniard helps the gunners to multiple FA Cup and FA Community shield cup’s triumph in 2014 and 2015 as he was named the north London captain at the beginning of 2014-2015 campaign but only make eleven appearances for the Gunners despite his new role due to injuries but finally wind down his career at the Emirates stadium when he came on as substitute to force an own goal from Aston Villa’s Mark Bunn in the last match day of the season as he was appreciated by the fans with an ovation.
Career as a manager
As soon he former Real Sociedad midfielder hang his boot, he took no chance before he quickly joking the coach cadre of the Arsenal Premier League rival team, Manchester City in 2016.
But it was not so surprising that the detail man join his fellow countryman and former Barcelona player like him at the Etihad stadium to horn his coaching career, because the former Arsenal skipper was nicknamed ‘coach’ by his teammates due to his persistent in decision making and his sheer will to move into management after he retires.
In fact, he had many opportunities to choose from with Pochetino at Spurs, managing the Gunner youth on Wenger request and joining the back room staff of Pep – to which the Spaniard chose his countryman over other but repay the trust when he makes all the preparation and chose the team on Pep request when Man city defeated Arsenal in December 2016.
More so, he was contacted to lead the Gunners in 2018 when Arsene Wenger call his time at the Emirate stadium but declined before the management opt for Unai Emery.
However, it was the former Arsenal captain that eventually take up the mantle after Emery was relieved of his duty at the Emirate stadium as he guided Arsenal to the trophy he won with them as a player, the FA Cup and the FA Community shield cup in 2020.
Although his team had a torrid but many Arsenal fans believe in his project as a manager that’ll lead back to the former glory.
Family and relationship
Mikel Arteta is married to his Spanish-Argentine TV Host, model and entertainer, Lorena Bernal while they are blessed with three children – Gabriel who was born in 2009, Daniel in 2012 and Oliver in 2013.
Moreover, maybe due to his time everywhere and his mother tongue, Mikael Arteta is a multilingual person with his ability to speak more than six languages ranging from Spanish, Basque, Catalan, English, French, Portuguese and Italian.
Honor
As a professional footballer, the San Sebastián born playmaker has won many awards and medals which includes the UEFA intertoto Cup, Premier League, FA Cup and Community Shield in Scotland, although he never really won anything Spain and France but his move to Arsenal ensure that enjoy more team success as he won English FA Cup and Community Shield on two occasions with the North London club before he retire.
More so, he won Everton player of the year award on two consecutive season in 2006 and 2007, while he scoop the the Toffees players’s player of the season in 2006. And his playing techniques was well respected by the media and viewers as he scooped some award from them too at the peak of his Everton career.
