Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin has said that his new dietary habits are helping him on and off the pitch.

Bellerin started a new vegan diet at the start of the season, and the 23-year-old has spoken of the huge differences that it has made to his recovery from matches, in addition to his overall wellbeing.

"I've been vegan since the beginning of the season more or less. At the beginning I wanted to try it for a couple of weeks to detox my body and stuff, but I just felt so great after it that I've been doing it for six months now," Bellerin told The Players Tribune.

"For me the most important thing is that inflammation in my body after games and the speed that my body recovers compared to before. I've always had little problems in my ankles when I played very hard games, they'd get very inflamed and stiff.

"Now I don't even have to strap them to play anymore. It doesn't just make a difference in your body but I strongly believe that with what we're doing to the earth paying back the earth too.

"Getting rid of all the food I was eating and going to this plant-based diet it did take those few days to actually feel better, but when it got to the beginning of the third week I felt so good. I was waking up in the mornings and had so much energy whereas before I used to be that person who would snooze the alarm five times before they got out of bed."

Bellerin has scored three times and registered two assists in 37 appearances for Arsenal this season.