Arsenal: Mikel Arteta on childhood, career & family

In 2002 Arteta signed a deal to join Rangers, leaving Barcelona.

“I have never seen an atmosphere like this – look how passionate these people are,” says Arteta about his first visit to Rangers, where they were playing PSG in the Champions League.

“Best decision that we made. It was really challenging – completely different football. You have to survive or die.”

During his time at Rangers, Arteta met his future wife Lorena, a life coach, on a trip to San Sebastian. They now have three children together.

“She has changed my life. She has changed my perception about life,” he says.

“We have navigated many, many different situations, some of them fascinating, some of them really difficult.

“I have that feeling with her that we never get bored. I can be sitting there five hours, 10 hours, go anywhere in the world and enjoy and have fun and laugh.

“In our profession we always talk about the protagonist, which is the player or the coach or the manager.

“But what about the person that is next to that one? And without that there is not enough foundations and there is not enough strength for that to be consistent.”