Matt Turner full of praise for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta

Arsenal goalkeeper Matt Turner has spoken highly about manager Mikel Arteta during an exclusive interview with The Guardian.

The United States international joined the Gunners from New England Revolution last summer and he has since exclusively played in the Cup competitions.

Turner has now spoken about his life at the north London giants and highlighted how the demanding nature of Arteta has helped him develop into a better player.

He said: “I think playing under a manager like Mikel, who’s very demanding day in and day out has helped me. Being around really high-quality players, and … our team performing at a high level, seeing what it takes to succeed consistently at the pinnacle was really eye opening for me.”

Turner, who started at the World Cup, added that the Gunners boss ‘makes your mind work in different ways’ when asked about his view on Arteta’s sketches from the ‘All or Nothing’ series last season.

He added: “That’s who he is. He likes to make your mind work in different ways, to switch it on and try to get your blood pumping in different ways, to just open your mind.”

“And I think one of my favorite qualities about him is that he always has my back. No matter what I do on the pitch, you know, he’s gonna have my back because he knows I work really, really hard.”

Turner has been a good acquisition for Arsenal

The 28-year-old has had a good debut season with the Gunners despite his limited playing time. He has completed 71 per cent of his passes with an average of nearly six long balls.

However, there is still room for improvement with his distribution. The shot-stopper has been guilty of holding onto possession for too long which has gifted chances to the opposition.

This is an aspect of his game that he has to improve upon. Nonetheless, the Gunners have a top quality keeper as back-up to Aaron Ramsdale in case of any kind of setback.

Turney may have to wait until next season for his next appearance and it could well be in the Carabao Cup.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com and Sofascore.com