‘I wanted to cry’: Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta opens up on his 2021 return to Rangers

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Before the start of this season, Mikel Arteta led his Arsenal side to Glasgow for a friendly against Rangers, a club very close to the Gunners boss’ heart.

Arsenal decided against going to the west or the far east like they usually do for pre-season due to the impact of the pandemic. They travelled up north to Scotland to take on Hibernian and Rangers ahead of the start of the new campaign.

Arteta is no stranger to Ibrox. The Spaniard spent two seasons there between 2002 and 2004, and he only has happy memories.

Speaking to Amy Lawrence about what the British culture has taught him over the years, he opened up about his emotional return to Rangers in the summer. It’s safe to say, he thoroughly enjoyed going back.

Mikel Arteta: Rangers return almost made me cry

He said in an interview on Arsenal.com: “There is some sort of memory here (in the UK) of what you’ve done or what you’ve achieved or what you were as a part of a journey in a certain moment of a career of a football club.

“I had the privilege of going back to Glasgow and play a friendly against Rangers. Walking through the door and seeing the emotion of those people to see you again and remember those experiences in such a beautiful way really moved me.

“I was there and I wanted to cry. They helped me raise and probably understand British football in a different way because I was in Glasgow and it was tough for some moments but then I have incredible memories about it.”

The Spaniard at Ibrox

Arteta spent two seasons as a Rangers player and played 50 games for them in all competitions. He scored 12 goals and provided 15 assists, which is not a bad record at all for a central midfielder who was just 20 when he moved to Scotland.

The Spaniard helped Rangers win the treble in the 2002/03 campaign. He developed really well there and earned a move back to his home country as he joined Real Sociedad. He returned to Britain to join Everton a year later.

Now a manager in the Premier League, Arteta is doing really well. He had his lows at Arsenal at the start of the season, but he has managed to turn things around, and if his side can continue their form, they could well sneak into the top four at the end of the season.