'He said to me I'm very good' - Akinola reveals advice he got from Arsenal boss Arteta

Nigerian-born holding midfielder Tim Akinola has revealed the advice that he received from Arsenal first team manager Mikel Arteta.

He joined the Gunners on a two-year deal from Huddersfield Town in September 2020 and had his contract extended for two more years before the start of the 2022-2023 campaign. 

Akinola was promoted to first team training on countless occasions in the first half of the 2021-2022 season and made his unofficial debut for the Gunners in a a behind-closed-doors friendly against Brentford in September 2021.

The 22-year-old has not spent much time at Arsenal in the last one year, with back-to-back loan spells at Dundee United and Chesterfield. 

Arteta has firsthand knowledge of the midfield role having played in that position for top clubs in England and Scotland during his playing days. 

Akinola has nothing but praise for Arteta's coaching methods and highlighted that the Spanish football tactician brings out the best in his players. 

Speaking on his relationship with Arteta,  Akinola told BallersMindsetPodcast: "Arteta has done a good job of bringing people together. I spoke to him more before I went out on loan than now that I've been on loan.

"I have not really been in the building too much unless now I've been in the building for a couple of weeks. Before this I've not been in the building for like a year because I was on loan.

"He just tends to concentrate on more of the first team guys and the guys that are literally playing but I'd say he's a top, top manager.

"He's a very honest manager, he will tell you what you're good at and what you need to work on."

On what Arteta said to him, Akinola said: "He said to me I'm very, very good in terms of tenacious, off the ball, winning the ball back from people, working hard.

"Midfield is the most demanding position, he wants me to be more crisp with my passes.

"Look at how technical Arsenal is. Obviously if you are a midfielder you need to be like the heart of the team and you need to control the whole thing. "

Akinola was not named in the  first team's traveling squad to the United States and was also missing from the development squad's training camp in Spain because he is expected to depart Arsenal before the close of the summer transfer window. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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