By Connor Armstrong
Every senior professional has their own way of handling situations and mentoring younger players - but one particular Arsenal star prefers a calm approach.
Santi Cazorla joined the club in 2012 and immediately established himself as a mainstay of the side.
Despite being one of the longest-serving members of our squad, the Spain international admits that it's not in his nature to be aggressive or confrontational with his team-mates.
"I struggle to say things in an aggressive way," Santi told the Arsenal Magazine. "I prefer to discuss things from a calmer point of view, always trying to give a message.
"I am more paternal in that way, rather than aggressive.
"With the dressing room we have, and just with the age, you see you can be – not necessarily a reference – but someone who can show the young players coming up, like Alex Iwobi, [Chuba] Akpom, Jeff [Reine-Adelaide].
"Me, when I was young, I always looked to the veterans of the team to say how it was, so I try to be an example and give them advice."
As he prepares to turn 32 next month, Santi also reflects on some valuable advice he received from senior pros during the earlier years of his own career.
"When I was young and spoke to the veterans of clubs I was at, they told me that once you get past the 30 barrier, it takes longer to recover even after one hard day of training, or after an injury. I was 23 or 24 and said, 'No, that won’t happen to me. I’m fine now. I’m never tired.'
"But once you get to 30 and you unluckily have injuries, it takes longer to recuperate and you have more problems. You have to look after your body too, to be at 100 per cent every game."
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