Arsenal's breakout star of 2015 talks to us about life at the London club, his new PUMA evoSPEED SL boots, and what's in his wardrobe.
What's it like to train here at Arsenal every day?
"It's amazing, even though I came from Barcelona which is one of the best academies in the world. I'm proud of my time at Barcelona, it's one of the places where they teach you to love the ball and play in the right way but to come here, to a new country, you'd expect a totally different type of football but Arsenal like to play the ball, they like to take care of it so I felt that all the work I did at Barcelona was still relevant; it was an easy transition to make. The Premier League is more physical and quicker but at the end of the day we're a team that like to play the ball and I think that's why people find us exciting to watch."
Do you feel part of a family here?
"Yeah, definitely. The club have made me feel part of the family since I stepped through the door. At 16 I had all the help that I needed and my family had the same help as well. My family were in Barcelona but any time they wanted to come over the club made it very easy for them to do so. Welcoming you and taking care of you as a young player as they've done is something that I'm very grateful for and that's one of the reasons why I've felt so comfortable which has helped me perform on the pitch."
"From the kit-man to the chef to the people helping in the restaurant, everyone single person working at the club contributes to that family feel. Arsenal are great at selecting the right person for the job all over. I remember Dave was the person who picked me up from the airport before I had signed. He stills works here and I talk to him all the time; he tells me that when he first picked me up I couldn't speak a word of English and look at yourself now! It's nice that there's people here that have been here for my whole 5 years at Arsenal."
When it comes to match day, do you have any pre-match or post-match routines?
"The match starts the night before for me. What you eat the night before the game is what I call 'invisible training'. It's so important to have a good diet and the right amount of rest before a game, you need to make sure you're at 100% to give your best. Other than that I just do the normal things I do. I don't over think the game, it's important you get your mind right once you get to the stadium but do your normal things beforehand."
We're here with PUMA. How do you work with the team in developing new boots?
"Every time before they bring out a new model they always give me a black-out version to train in and give feedback. They always listen to the players and I think that's really important because at the end of the day we're the ones that are going to wear them. They've done a really good job with the SL's – they've mixed the lightness of the boot with comfort."
What would your personal style be if you could design a boot?
"For me, it's all about the lightness. Some players prioritise protection to make sure they don't get hurt when they get stepped on, I concrete on being too fast for players to even get close to stepping on me! For me to feel light on the pitch is the most important thing, that's why I feel so comfortable in the SL's. Obviously the touch is important and it's important to be safe but for me the most important thing is speed so any little bit of help can make a difference."
Do other players in the Arsenal squad take notice when you turn up with new boots?
"Yeah, of course. Every time there's a new colourway or new model everyone wants to check them out. It doesn’t matter what brand it is, when a new boot arrives in the changing room everyone picks it up. They're our tools so everyone is always interested to see what the next innovation is."
Is there some of your personality in these boots?
"Yeah definitely, they're called evoSPEED and I like speed and that's one of the biggest aspects of my game. The boots are young and exciting with loud colourways – not the typical older boots, they're fresh and a new generation of boot. It's important for the brand and player to have the same mentality and I think we've got that – we define ourselves through each other, that's why I feel so confident with PUMA."
How have things changed from some of the earliest boots you owned?
"I remember my first pair of boots – my Grandma still has them at home! They were typical black leather ones. Football boots have come on a long way in such a short space of time, it wasn't long ago that all boot were black and leather with a brand logo. Back then it was just one flavour, one choice – now it's endless. We see nowadays that there are new revolutions which are always exciting to see."
Away from the pitch, what's the latest addition to your wardrobe?
"I was really excited about the last PUMA x BAPE collaboration. I got some of the stuff a few days ago and mixing football or sportswear with that street style is a very cool thing that they're doing."
What moments make you sit back and think about how cool life is as a professional footballer?
"I'm starting to realise that when you're on the pitch and you're playing that there's lots of things happening around you, like your family, and you're really excited about it. When I missed a few games through I injury I stepped back and watched a few games and you realise how big everything is and it made me see what I've achieved in the last few years. I'm working hard and for me I feel like it's still the beginning."
Pick up a pair of Bellerin's "Safety Yellow" evoSPEED SL boots here.
