Arsenal goalkeeping prospect Karl Hein has revealed he rejected the chance to join Manchester United in the summer of 2018 because of the atmosphere around the London Colney training ground.
Hein was the first player to join Arsenal after the departure of Arsene Wenger, signing from Estonian club Nomme United in June 2018.
Since joining the youngster, who stands at 6ft 3in, has proven to be a shrewd acquisition and having only turned 18 in April he has already established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper in Arsenal's Under-23 side. He also trained with the Gunners' first team and was among the group that travelled to Wembley for the FA Cup semi-final win over Manchester City.
The 18-year-old was widely coveted at the time of his arrival in north London with the Gunners having to fight off Manchester United to secure Hein's signature after an impressive trial spell in February of that year.
"I actually received an offer from Manchester United around the same time too," Hein told the Arsenal matchday programme.
"When I first received offers from them and Arsenal I was honoured because they're both such massive clubs with an impressive history, so it was a hard decision to make, but right from the start I just loved Arsenal. Everything felt so right.
"When I was on trial, the impression that they gave me was so impressive because I loved the atmosphere at the training ground and the way all the people spoke to me and welcomed me. After that I just had this gut feeling that Arsenal was the right place for me and my development."
Hein is also at pains to credit his "mentor", former Derby County and Arsenal goalkeeper Mart Poom, with an influential role in his early progress.
Hein was a regular in Arsenal's U23 side last season, starting 11 games for Steve Bould and conceding 19 goals. He also caught the eye of head coach Arteta, who had called the Estonian up to the first team training sessions even before his 18th birthday.
The youngster is an increasingly familiar face to the Arsenal first team, who do not appear to be taking things any easier on Hein than they do with Bernd Leno or Emi Martinez.
"That feeling of walking out at Colney and training alongside a keeper like Bernd at that age was something I'll never forget. The level of that training session was just crazy to me.
"The one big thing I noticed is that it's not only the strikers who are doing unbelievable finishes... literally every player in the team is of such high quality that they can react in a split second, strike the ball cleanly and find the corners.
"It's so hard to save them but when you do, it's such a good feeling. Nothing beats that buzz you get.
"I've trained with Emi and Bernd a fair amount now and I learn so much from them in every session. They're so important to Arsenal and they do everything to the highest standard. Their reactions, athleticism, professionalism and mentality is spot on and it's genuinely a joy to watch."
