Arsenal loanee Dani Ceballos has heaped praise on boss Mikel Arteta following his return to parent club Real Madrid.
The 24-year-old spent two seasons on loan at the Emirates, during which time he helped Arteta to his first major trophy as a manager when Arsenal won the FA Cup in 2020.
However, after a promising debut season as a Gunner, in his second campaign with Arsenal, Ceballos slipped down the pecking order behind Thomas Partey and Emile Smith Rowe, resulting in starting only 17 league games during 2020-21.
The Spanish international was full of praise for his former boss and told El Larguero: "Arteta is a coach who I am sure will be one of the best in the world in the next few years, but I would like to return to the Spanish league."
On his future at Real Madrid, Ceballos added: "Zidane was always very clear with me. He told me that he was a player for the future at Real Madrid. I asked him to leave on loan the first year and he told me that a year at Real Madrid was like eight years away. He was right.
"The first thing is to talk to the coach [Ancelotti]. What I want is to be important, I have missed the [Spain squad for the] Euros. I will make it clear to the coach that I want to feel important every Sunday."
During his two-season long loan spell at Arsenal, Ceballos scored two goals and provided five assists in 77 appearances for the club. body check tags ::