Merino discusses struggles with the physical side of his development | OneFootball

Mikel Merino has reflected on his career’s defining moments and revealed how he only developed the physical side of his game at a relatively late stage.

The midfielder, who joined Arsenal this summer, hails from a footballing family. His father was also a footballer, and his uncle played the game professionally as well.

Merino’s career has taken him to various clubs, including Newcastle United and Borussia Dortmund. However, he didn’t make a significant impact at either, spending short spells at both. After establishing himself at Real Sociedad over several seasons, the Spaniard now arrives at Arsenal as a more mature player ready to succeed in England.

Despite his achievements, Merino revealed that he was a late bloomer. While in the academy, he struggled to keep up with some of his peers who were ahead of him physically. Reflecting on those formative years, the midfielder shared when things started to turn around for him.

He said, as quoted by Arsenal Media:

“I matured a little later than the rest. So my physical aspects were a little undeveloped, compared to the rest of the players.

“So I had to keep up with the rest through my technical, tactical and mental aspects, because the physicality was not there for me yet.

“In those years I struggled a little bit, but when I turned 17, in the second year of my academy team, I grew a lot in a single summer. And that year is when I started to reach a really high level.

“Then I started to develop more. I got taller and stronger, and I already had the technique because I’d been concentrating on that. Before that summer I mainly played as a winger, because I was small and had good technical ability.”

Merino’s growth as a player over the years has been impressive, and Arsenal fans will hope he can deliver consistently as he adapts to his new surroundings.

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