Ainsley Maitland-Niles can hold his head high after his performance on Sunday.
Despite slipping to defeat against an experienced Manchester United side, the 20-year-old midfielder put in an impressive display in central midfield and was singled out for praise by Arsène Wenger after the match.
And Maitland-Niles was equally as complimentary about his manager after the game.
“The boss has been great for me and, while it was a bit nerve-wracking without a full squad, we knew we had to give the manager a proper send off.
“I’m happy playing in midfield and the boss trusts in me there,” he added. “I guess I delivered. I love playing centre midfield and to do that for Arsenal at Manchester United in the Premier League is a dream come true.
“He’s like a father figure. He tells you where to improve and gives you a lot of confidence to go and play your game. It’s brilliant having a manager like that.
“He’s been like that for most of the young boys that have played this season. I thank him very much.”
Copyright 2024 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.
