Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has spoken to Sky Sports about his time as a player at Glasgow Rangers and playing against Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.
Arteta spoke to Jamie Carragher about his time at Ibrox and said that the Glasgow derby was the one game in his career which surprised and impressed him the most.
He had nothing but good things to say about his time in the Scottish top flight and clearly keeps the club in good affection.
Arteta on Rangers
He said: “The game which has surprised me most (in my career) where I was really impressed with it is the Glasgow derby.
“I thought my English was pretty good but when I arrived in Glasgow, it was a different language almost!
“But I was so lucky, they welcomed me so well in a really special way. They are special people.
“I am so grateful, it helped me with my transition to play in the Premier League and I had some great moments there.”
MORE RANGERS STORIES
Arteta returned to Ibrox with Arsenal in a pre-season friendly in 2021 but it was not in front of a full house because of Covid restrictions.
He likely would have got a great reception from the Ibrox faithful and Arteta clearly understands the role Scottish football played in shaping him.
His Arsenal side play good football but they also embody his passion for the game which was evident in the Amazon All or Nothing documentary aired earlier this year.