Mikel Arteta has heaped praise on Arsene Wenger and labelled him as an "inspiration" after the former Arsenal boss was inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.
Wenger, 73, was selected alongside Sir Alex Ferguson as one of the latest additions to the Premier League honours' list following his remarkable 22-year spell at Arsenal. The Frenchman led the 2003/04 Invincibles side as they went the whole campaign unbeaten, winning 26 and drawing 12 of their 38 matches.
Arteta joined the Gunners in 2011 from Everton and spent five years working alongside Wenger. The Spaniard was a regular in the starting XI during his first few seasons at the Gunners, but struggled for game time in his final campaign before retiring from professional football in 2016.
But he made the transition into coaching which has now led him back to Arsenal, where he has his former club top of the Premier League table. And he has outlined the role his "inspiring" former boss played in getting him into management.
After Wenger was named in the Premier League Hall of Fame, Arteta said: "I had a dream to play for this club and that was because of the way Arsenal played. It was so attractive! I had a phenomenal time with him.
"He pushed me as well at the end of my career to become a coach… we had a conversation and I asked him what he would do in my position because I had doubts in my career over whether I wanted to continue my journey as a coach. He helped me at the club and at the Academy to do my badges and again, he was an inspiration."
Wenger joined the Gunners from Grampus Eight in 1996 and immediately put his philosophy on the Arsenal team. It took him until his second season to win a trophy, however, as the Gunners completed the double, winning the Premier League and the FA Cup.
He then guided Arsenal to many other major honours and is regarded as the best manager in the club's history. In total, he managed 1235 matches, winning a remarkable 707 of those.
Arteta: "I will use the word ‘inspiring’. I think he inspired every player and every member of staff that he worked with.
"I think he inspired English football. He took English football to a different level and challenged this football to open its doors and open the mentality.
"He also opened the door for many other foreigners to come and join the league to make it better... the way he spoke, what he transmitted as a coach, the way his teams played. I think he's been a phenomenal influence in world football.
"I don't think any other managers have had more impact. Some managers have brought different ideas, different characters, different competitions. But he opened the Premier League to the world in a different way to other managers.
"I think he had a vision that was much wider than any other manager had at the time. I think England and the Premier League have to be very grateful forever to this man."
