Arteta on family, padel and ballet at fan sit-down

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta sat down with a group of supporters following his contract renewal to discuss his time in charge of the club.

"Myself, the players, the staff, certainly my family as well. We feel incredibly loved, supported, inspired and challenged," Arteta said. "We're so grateful because you guys really make us feel like we are a family and we share a dream and we just go for it regardless of what happens."

Arteta also reflected on the global reach of Arsenal's fanbase, saying the viral spread of a recent moment was "a big realisation to all of us the impact that you can have on people."

On the subject of downtime, Arteta revealed former Argentina defender Gabriel Heinze is his regular padel partner. "He's my partner; we play. We played, obviously we know each other for a long time, and we have played quite a lot of padel together," he said.

When asked which three players he would take to a desert island, Arteta named captain Martin Odegaard first. "He's the one that will look after all of us, it doesn't matter how he is, and he will work relentlessly without saying anything for all of us." Mikel Merino was his second choice, citing the midfielder's ability to plan ahead.

Arteta also addressed the idea of incorporating ballet into training, revealing he had visited one of the world's leading ballet dancers — an Argentine — years ago. "I was fascinated, not only by what they deliver, but by the way they train to deliver what they do. We are very lucky because what they do is much tougher than what we do," he said.

The session ended with Arteta turning the questions back on supporters, asking what each would contribute if they worked at the club. Suggestions ranged from curating music playlists to organising player pairings for social outings.