Arsenal star Gabriel Martinelli says that Manchester United had a big impact on his development as a teenager, and helped him to adapt so quickly to the Premier League.
The attacker joined the Gunners in a £6million move from Ituano in 2019 and has become a prominent member of the first team despite a knee injury which has kept him out of Mikel Arteta's plans for much of his time in London.
But before moving to Arsenal, Martinelli had a number of spells training with Manchester United during the summers as a teenager before becoming a professional with Ituano.
Despite their knowledge of the striker, United chose not to make a move for the Brazilian, with Arsenal swooping to sig him.
Martinelli says his experiences in the North West of England helped prepare him for life in the Premier League with the Gunners.
"For three or four years, I used to practise at Manchester United," Martinelli told the Daily Mail.
"I would come to England, usually in the middle of the year, for about 15 or 20 days.
"It was a great experience, because I could find how European players behaved, how they defend, how they attack, how fast it is in their game.
"I improved a lot and brought it all back with me to Brazil, always trying to secure my place in the team. My dream was to play in Europe and these practices in England helped me do it.".
The 19-year-old admits that adapting to life in England hasn't all been easy though, especially breaking down the language barrier.
"I could not say a word in English," he added. "Of course, I felt the pressure of this move [to Arsenal], but I had to do it.
"It was my dream, my family's dream. My mum and my father helped me a lot, always being by my side. I talk to them three, four times a day."
