Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has revealed he almost switched to England during his playing days. After his chances with Spain fell apart.
Arteta spent a combined 11 years in England with Everton and Arsenal but has never played for Spain’s senior midfield force. With Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso, David Silva, Santi Cazorla and Marcos Senna all in the mix.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that the FA and then-England manager Fabio Capello tried to convince Arteta to switch his nationality to England in order to play for the Three Lions.
Arteta said: “I thought about that the other day and I actually just spoke to Edu about it this afternoon. I would switch nationalities. I’m very happy and proud of that.”
“I was realistic. Look at the players Spain had at the time and see how big the challenge was. You have to know your level, that’s very important. Look in the mirror. In the end it didn’t happen, but it’s good. At least I can reflect on it.”
Arteta not making the switch to England was due to the rules around international eligibility. The former midfielder had been a resident in England for five years but had previously been capped by Spain’s Under-21 team.
Ultimately, Arteta did not switch nationalities to play for ยูฟ่าเบท the Three Lions at the time because of stricter dual-nationality rules than today.