Lucas Torreira has spoken out on the moment Unai Emery got on phone to convince him to join Arsenal, and his pride at becoming the first Uruguayan to play for the club.

Talking to Uruguayan outlet Ovacion, Torreira revealed his nervous conversation with the new Arsenal head coach ahead of the World Cup.

“When he called me, I could not believe it,” Torreira admitted. “I was in a hotel with a friend, and I got nervous. It was difficult for me to talk because receiving the call of a coach of such an important team generates many things.

“We talked about several things. He also did not want to fill my head with too much because I knew the World Cup was coming, and that I was focused on that.”

The young midfielder then went on to talk about how much it means to him to be the first Uruguayan player to join Arsenal. He clearly just wants to enjoy the moment, after all the work he’s put in to reach this point.

“It gives me tremendous pride,” he said. “When we were signing we talked about that. It’s something great for me, and I really enjoy it because I know what it has cost me to get here. That’s why today life rewards me with this prize.”

Anyone who watched Uruguay play at the World Cup would be hard pressed to deny Torreira’s hard work for his team. That’s part of what is getting Arsenal fans so excited to see him in action, as players with that kind of energy and fight are what the team needed in some difficult moments last season.

Unfortunately, those supporters will have to wait a little longer to see Torreira in action. He confirmed his return to Arsenal will be on July 30th, after he travels to Uruguay for a well-earned rest. Hopefully that means he’ll be ready for the season opener against Manchester City.