Arsenal youth player, Jon Toral has spoken about his time with Barcelona and the close bond he already shares with Granada teammate, Isaac Cuenca.

Toral, who is currently on loan from Arsenal with Granada, explained how he and Cuenca used to get the taxi to Barcelona together when they were younger and that now he has the chance to play with him, he’s excited.

“Isaac was older than me and I was in another category, but being Reus agree,” Toral told Granada’s website (via Google Translate, in case you couldn’t already guess).

“When I opened the taxi the first day to go training was he there and then, I think it was 2 or 3 years we were going in the taxi 4 days a week. They are times of an hour and a half away and another hour and a half back, we got home about half past eleven.

“It was a 7-seater car, there were enough players Reus and Tarragona and filled. We had good relationship with taxi drivers at the end of the season is the same and are hours and hours spent in the taxi.”

He added, “When I saw yesterday Isaac gave me much joy, now is the first time we met as colleagues and a special enthusiasm for our past in taxis from Reus to Barcelona . Fran Alvarez also coincided 3 or 4 years, he entered a couple of seasons later than me. What we passed to find in a village near Tarragona. I saw a couple of days ago and told me he was here in the B.

“Football is leaving friendships and memories that the end is nice to meet again and remember.”

It’s good that the 21-year-old not only has people that he knows at the La Liga club away from Arsenal but also players that he shares fond memories with. Although he’s Spanish and obviously speaks the language, it can be a little like joining a new school when players go out on loan and having friends there must be a huge help.

Toral spent last season out on loan at Birmingham City in the Championship where he did brilliantly. The youngster has really begun to make a name for himself and it’ll be interesting to see how he does La Liga now.