Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
OUT OF FORM.. OUT OF FAVOUR.. BUT NOW IT’S ALL CLICKED
Close to the exit under Emery, Arsenal defender Mustafi is focused on the big picture with Arteta
SHKODRAN MUSTAFI admits this season has been the toughest of his career.
The Germany defender was derided by Arsenal fans for his displays under former boss Unai Emery, who told him he could leave – only for the Spaniard to go first.
Mustafi also had to fight his way back into the team as Mikel Arteta shuffled his pack after taking charge in December.
But the centre-back once again put his body on the line on Thursday to help the Gunners to their fourth clean sheet under Arteta and a vital 1-0 lead in the Europa League tie against Olympiakos.
And Mustafi paid tribute to his family for helping him keep his football woes in perspective.
He said: “At the beginning of the season, not being selected, not making the squad, it has been difficult.
“But I am a person who tries to see the positive things more than the negatives. That helped me a lot.
“Having my family around me – my kids, my wife – because life is not only football, that’s something I kept telling myself.
“Being in training every day, playing a lot of games, you get a lot of attention, but still at the end of the day I am a father of two kids and I try to focus on this as well.
“I am happy how it is running now. I am happy for the team as well because it is doing great and we are getting rewarded for it. That’s the important thing.
“Like every other season, you train, you try to be at your best every time, you try to be there for your team and then it is up to the coach if he selects you to play and if he does, you
want to give everything on the pitch.
“That’s how I have always thought and how I am always going to be thinking because that is the way to be professional.
“In our job, we get paid so well we have to be professional at times when things are good, but at times when things are not as good as you want them to be as well.”
Mustafi never believed his Arsenal career was over despite his treatment by Emery.
“If you think things are over for you, then you should retire,” he added. “That’s not like you should think as a professional.
“You always get the opportunities and a team has more than 20 players for a reason. There is a lot of competition, there are a lot of games and everyone in the team is needed.
“The main thing for me was to be professional because as long as you stay professional, you cannot be blamed for anything. Stay professional, wait until your next opportunity and then you have to take it.
“I don’t like to talk too much about the manager. I knew Unai before he came because when I was playing at Valencia, he was the coach at Sevilla. He is a brilliant coach and I have always respected him and still do.
“But of course now, having Mikel here, I am learning a lot and even though I have played a lot of years he speaks about things I have never heard before.”
Asked about the fans’ largely positive reaction to his recall ahead of tomorrow’s visit by Everton, he added: “It is always important to have a good relationship with the fans.
“But for me the main thing was to be professional, to always be there for my team-mates and for the club.
“Then when you play
well they appreciate your performances, but it makes it easier with the fans behind you.”
‘Mikel speaks about things that I have not heard before’