He's kept tabs on young talent as a result and has noted the rise of the likes of Max Dowman at Arsenal. ‌But during his spell he was convinced that some of the young talent would go on to have central roles in the first-team - only to be mistaken. However he fell out of favour under Mikel Arteta and Monreal believes it was a case of right player, wrong time. He told Ladbrokes: "He was a really good number six who ran a lot, and was very good with the ball. He was tall, he was fast, and even though he was so young and playing with some huge names, it all just looked so easy to him."

Source: Daily Mirror December 29, 2025 15:11 UTC