We’ve won 10 of the 13 games he’s featured in during his first season with us - and Rob Holding has won plenty of admirers along the way.
Unsurprisingly one of them is Arsène Wenger, who hasn’t been surprised at how well the central defender has adapted to life in the Premier League.
“No, because I always expect good performances when I play a player,” he said. “He had some positive performances before. I think in all the games he’s played until now, he’s shown intelligence, composure on the ball.
“He of course needs some defensive experience and in every single game he’s played I believe he’s becoming stronger through the game. He started a bit nervous, which you can understand, but he became stronger and always had convincing second halves.”
Has Holding shown leadership qualities since arriving?
“He has, because he’s intelligent, but at the moment he’s still a bit introverted, he’s not out-speaking at the moment,” Wenger added. “Certainly he feels he has not this kind of responsibility at the moment.
“When you start as a young player, most of the time you focus on your own performance and make sure that you are at the level. Later, when you are a bit more dominant and confident, you can go into a leadership role.”
More polls to come later in the season!
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