Joe Willock has given an insight into his breakthrough at Arsenal, and the role Arsene Wenger played during his early years at the club.
A lifelong Gunners fan, Willock has risen through the ranks after joining the club as a four-year-old and is now a first-team regular at the Emirates Stadium.
The 20-year-old has made 51 appearances – including 34 this season – since being handed his debut by Wenger in September 2017 and has featured in both games since the Premier League returned from its three-month hiatus.
Having not even been born when Wenger took charge in North London in 1996, the Frenchman has for most of Willock’s life been the only Arsenal manager he knows, so being handed his first appearance by him made for a surreal moment.
“Growing up, Arsene Wenger was Arsenal, Willock told talkSPORT.
It was all I knew. He was part of the furniture. For me to grow up and play under him was a crazy feeling. It was surreal. He’s an amazing man.
“Arsene Wenger was a very laid back man but when he spoke, everyone listened. He was Arsene Wenger so everyone had to listen.
“He always taught me personally to play with freedom and enjoy myself. That’s one thing I can take from him.”
Another leading light in Willock’s development has been Freddie Ljungberg, who the midfielder has developed a particularly close relationship with during his time in the under-23s, and now with the Swede part of Mikel Arteta’s coaching staff.
“Freddie was my Under-23s coach and came up to the first-team with me,” Willock added.
“It was so convenient and good for me to have him by my side for the transition as well because he understands who I am and how I work and knows how to get the best out of me.
“To have him in the first-team as well is really good.”
Now an established member of the first team, Willock also picked out some of his team-mates who helped to bed him in to the senior setup.
“At Arsenal, we are a very tight-knit team, we all try and help each other.
“If I have to name a few names, I would say David Luiz, Lacazette and a few of the younger players like Calum Chambers, Granit Xhaka, because they are very vocal and big players in the changing room I sort of gravitated to them more. They helped me and always speak to me.”
