(Reuters) - Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka is moving in the right direction as he rebuilds his relationship with the club's fans and can be an important player for the team going forward, new manager Mikel Arteta said. Swiss international Xhaka reacted angrily to home supporters booing him as he walked off the pitch in a match against Crystal Palace in October and was subsequently stripped of captaincy by former manager Unai Emery. The 27-year-old, who was also dropped, has since found his way back into the squad and former Manchester City assistant Arteta said he would offer his full support to Xhaka, having taken charge of 11th-placed Arsenal last week. "When I was going from Arsenal to City to start coaching and we were looking at that position, he was one of the players on my list," Arteta, a former Arsenal midfielder, told the British media before his first match in charge at Bournemouth on Thursday.

Source: International New York Times December 26, 2019 05:48 UTC