Mikel Arteta has said that Arsene Wenger made it possible for him to become Arsenal head coach.
The 37-year-old's return to the Emirates Stadium was confirmed on Friday afternoon as he replaces fellow Spaniard Unai Emery who was sacked three weeks ago to the day.
Arteta's final Premier League game as Manchester City assistant head coach was ironically the 3-0 win over the club he now manages.
As a result, the Spaniard's task will be to get the Gunners moving up the table starting with the clash against his other former club in England - Everton.
It was in the summer of 2011 when Arteta swapped Goodison Park for the north London outfit.
He would go on to captain the side as well as winning two FA Cups before hanging up his boots at the end of the 2015/2016 season where he then became Pep Guardiola's assistant at the Etihad Stadium.
Now it's time for Arteta to step out on his own.
And the former midfielder hasn't forgotten the role Wenger has played in his journey from representing the Gunners to becoming head coach inside within a decade.
"When I was playing in England, I started to realise what Arsenal meant," Arteta said during his press conference. "Obviously I was born in Barcelona and the club that had the most similar style and most similar values and ambition was Arsenal.
"So I always talked to the people around me and said that I had a dream and that was to play for this football club.
"There was one man, his name is Arsene Wenger, that believed in me and gave me the opportunity to play for this club.
"After that, he made me captain of this football club and I wouldn't be sitting here if he didn't have the vision to give me the opportunity to enjoy this incredible club."
