Héctor Bellerín will step out at the Aviva Stadium on Wednesday for a pre-season friendly against Arsenal, marking the first time he has faced his former club since leaving the Emirates. The Real Betis full-back, now 31, spoke warmly about his decade in north London and his enduring bond with manager Mikel Arteta, once his teammate and mentor.
Bellerín recalled a formative moment early in his career when Arteta, then a senior player at Arsenal, invited him over not for a meal but for a financial lesson. Arteta sat him down with a financial adviser to question his spending habits as a young player just beginning to earn significant money. "When I arrived that afternoon, he was sitting with a financial adviser and they started to ask: 'How much do you spend on this?' 'How much do you spend on that?'" Bellerín said. "I was pitching low. I felt embarrassed, ashamed, but I left with a lesson in humility and affection."
He credited Arteta with showing him early on that he mattered as a person, not just a player. "Mikel was the first player who showed me that I was important to him, that I mattered," Bellerín said, adding that Arteta had encouraged him to pass that same care on to future teammates.
The Spaniard, who arrived at Arsenal as a teenager from Barcelona, spent 12 years living across London, starting out lodging with a host family in Enfield alongside childhood friend Jon Toral. He described adapting to English customs like Sunday roasts and gaining independence through an Oyster card given to him by academy director Liam Brady. "Elements of my personality totally come from England," he said, reflecting on how the city shaped his worldview beyond football.
Bellerín and Arteta's relationship evolved from teammates to player and coach when Arteta took over as Arsenal manager, a transition Bellerín admitted was not always straightforward. "Our relationship going from teammates to coach and player was strange. I'm not sure we knew how to manage the transition," he said, though he noted their shared history allowed for honest conversations.
He spoke of the influence Arteta has had on his development as a footballer, estimating that a significant portion of his football understanding came directly from his former manager. "I'd go so far as to say that he has put extra years on my career," Bellerín said. "I play totally differently to how I did at 19. Bloody hell, I owe Mikel so much."
Despite his affection for the club, Bellerín acknowledged the pain of eventually departing after a decade there, describing a gradual disconnect rather than a single incident. "When you leave a club like Arsenal, it's scary, eh. Scary. It hurts, mate," he said. "However much you know that your moment is over, it was your home."
Since joining Betis, Bellerín has found a strong connection to the club his family has long supported and to the city of Seville, embracing its culture and a dressing room dynamic he described as more egalitarian than what he experienced in England. He has continued to pursue interests outside football, including writing, fashion, veganism and environmental activism, alongside outspoken views on issues like toxic masculinity and financial excess in the sport.
Looking ahead to facing his former teammates, including Bukayo Saka and Ben White, Bellerín expressed pride in Arsenal's recent achievements as Premier League champions and FA Cup winners, as well as their run to the Champions League final. "Look where Arsenal are... They are where they deserve to be; it's a very sweet moment," he said. "To be able to face them now, the best team in Europe, is the business."
Based on reporting from The Guardian.