Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed that he would have switched his international allegiance from Spain to England during his playing career.
Arteta spent 11 years in the Premier League with Everton and Arsenal but never received an international cap for Spain.
In fairness, the 42-year-old was competing for a midfield spot with some of Spain’s greatest ever players, including Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Cesc Fabregas, David Silva, and Santi Cazorla.
In 2010 former England manager Fabio Capello and the Football Association made an attempt to convert Arteta into an England international.
Although the move didn’t materialise due to stricter rules around dual nationality players at the time.
However, the current rules are more flexible, as evidenced by Declan Rice, who has represented England at senior level despite playing for Ireland’s youth sides.
Now the Spaniard has revealed that he would have made the switch.
“I was thinking about that the other day,” Arteta said. “I was actually talking to Edu about that at lunch. I would have done it. I feel very proud about it.
“It was OK. If you cannot do it, you cannot do it. I wasn’t prepared to fight against the world,” Arteta said.
Meanwhile, Arteta and his players would be back in action when they take on Bournemouth this weekend.
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