Mikel Arteta opens door to managing England one day in honest Arsenal admission
Former England boss Fabio Capello sounded out Mikel Arteta about representing England when he was still an Everton player 15 years ago - having never picked up a senior Spain cap - but it never materialised
by Mike Walters · The MirrorMikel Arteta has revealed his England players have “smiles on their faces” after Thomas Tuchel’s appointment as England coach.
And the Arsenal boss, who once tried to qualify to play for England when Fabio Capello was Three Lions manager, has not ruled out being England boss himself in the future because “this is like home.”
Asked about Tuchel’s coronation at Wembley earlier this week, Gunners messiah Arteta said: "They [Arsenal players who could play for Tuchel] are going to learn a lot.
“He is one of the best coaches in the world in my opinion without a doubt. His experience, the way his teams are set up and very exciting times. I spoke to a few of the players and straight away they had smiles on their faces, that's always a good sign.”
Arteta says he would not only want to manage Spain in international football - and didn’t rule out the England job in future.
"I tell you right now, the feeling I have this is like home," he said. "I have been here 22 years, I have that feeling towards it. I always feel respected, welcome and inspired by this country. The legacy and the history of football and how you get treated daily. As a country you should be so proud of it.”
Capello sounded out Arteta about representing England when he was still an Everton player 15 years ago and he admitted: “Yeah, I would have done it.
“I feel very proud about it. I was very realistic, looking at the players Spain had at the time, and how big a challenge I had. You need to know your level, that is very important.
“In the end it didn’t happen, but it was good at least to think about it. If you cannot do it, you cannot do it. I wasn’t prepared to fight against the world.”
Ben White, who has chosen not to make himself available for England since 2022, and Raheem Sterling, jilted by Tuchel’s predecessor Gareth Southgate, could both come back into the reckoning under the new Kaiser chief.
Arteta said of Sterling: “If that is what he decides he wants, he is in a really good moment right now - in the last training sessions he was exceptional. Raheem at his best can compete with any player for sure.”
And on the disappointment of Little Englanders that the national team is back in foreign hands, the Arsenal boss said: ”I understand opinions and feelings.
“But that is the responsibility for the FA to say 'OK, the first filter is only English managers or the filter is any manager from any country and we select the best for the moment we are in right now'.
“I understand it can feel sad for some people not to have an English manager there and the history tells you as well how important this could be, but I think I would take a lot of pride that a lot of managers would do anything to become the English manager.
"That is related to how we are treated in this country, how much we love the passion, the respect, the history and the way things are done in this country. I can say personally, you feel so related to where you are even though you are not from here. I think that is a huge thing.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Sky Sports deal
Sky Sports launches 'lowest price' Premier League package
£43 (was £52)
Sky has slashed the price of its Sky Sports, Sky Stream, Sky TV and Netflix bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £216 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
With Ultra HD included at no extra cost, football fans can enjoy the 2024/25 season with crystal clear picture quality.