Everton midfielder Fabian Delph has heaped praise on Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta ahead of the Toffees' trip to the Emirates Stadium.
Delph was at Manchester City for three years whilst Arteta was the assistant to Pep Guardiola.
The 30-year-old was on the brink of leaving the club but was persuaded to stay at City by Arteta, a decision which led to two medals for winning the Premier League.
"Mikel was incredible for me," Delph told BBC 5 Live Sport. "He was the reason why I stayed in the team as long as I did. I owe everything to him."
Delph has also praised Arteta's coaching skills and insisted that he knew the 37-year-old would land a top job one day.
That day arguably came quicker than expected as he joined the Gunners as the long-term replacement for Unai Emery, just five months after Delph himself left City for Everton.
Delph added: "I knew he would end up as a manager.
"He was fantastic with me, always very honest. In my first year at City, I had been hit and miss with injuries. I didn't play as much as I liked and had the opportunity to go.
"Mikel said 'I don't want you to leave. I feel there is a spot here. The way we want to play is different to what a lot of people have seen but you are very capable of doing it'.
"We worked on it a few times in training and I decided to stay. Everything he said came true."
