Per Mertesacker believes Hector Bellerin has the character to forge a career at the top level.
The Spanish teenager has made 11 appearances this season, the last four of which have yielded clean sheets.
Mertesacker is encouraged by Bellerin’s development and says the full back has improved significantly since making his first start for the club in Dortmund last September.
"Due to injuries, he came in, took these games he received from the manager and took it really seriously"
“He has got great talent and has shown it over a couple a years now but the breakthrough - the real breakthrough - has been this season for him,” Mertesacker told Arsenal Player. “Normally he has been No 3 in the right-back position, so it was difficult for him.
“Due to injuries, he came in, took these games he received from the manager and took it really seriously.
“Everyone knew before that he’s promising but you have to deliver when you get a chance, you have to be straight in.
“It was a rough start for him against Borussia Dortmund away in the Champions League, but to come back even stronger, that’s his strength."
Hector Bellerin
Copyright 2025 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.