Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has revealed the unlikely player that helped mentor him…
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has surprisingly credited an unlikely source for helping him settle at the Emirates Stadium, following his move to Arsenal from Southampton back in 2011, reports talkSPORT.
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The England international, now 21, has explained why Emmanuel Eboue helped ease the nerves of his first Gunners training session. He revealed that he was struggling to kick the ball further than five yards, before the Ivorian put a comforting arm around him.
“I remember my first training session,” Oxlade-Chamberlain told reporters. “I think I was just coming back from an ankle injury as well. As I arrived, my first session was with Robin van Persie and Emmanuel Eboue – just the three of us doing passing drills.
“I remember I couldn’t even pass the ball more than five yards in the first 10 minutes. Eboue made me feel comfortable and welcome with his jokes and his laughing and I settled into it a little bit more. It’s been a great experience for me; now I feel like this is home.”
Eboue was a source of much derision towards the end of his Arsenal career, and he was eventually sold to Galatasaray in 2011. He played 132 league games for Arsene Wenger’s side, having joined from Belgian club Beveren in 2005.