Lucas Torreira is proving to Arsenal fans that he can handle the physicality of the Premier League this season, but one particularly impressive example of the Uruguayan’s determination comes from his time in Serie B.

Arsenal’s £26.6m summer signing has quickly become a fan favourite at the Emirates Stadium. He already has his own song, an adaptation of Patrick Vieira’s old chant, which is high praise in itself.

Part of the appeal of the 22-year-old is he’s so willing to get stuck into challenges, and he fights hard for the team from the first minute to the last. It was the same story back in Italy, as emphasised in a story recently reported by Bleacher Report.

Early in his time with Pescara, the coaching staff thought Torreira might’ve picked up a foot injury, and they sent him for a checkup. They discovered that he had a number of warts on one foot, and he’d been playing through the pain without telling anyone about it.

“He couldn’t even walk,” said Roberto Druda, the Pescara scout who signed him. “He played on for months and months.”

It’s that drive to overcome any obstacle that has inspired the midfielder’s rise to the top. Just a few years after that incident with Pescara, he’s a starter for Arsenal in the Premier League and his home country of Uruguay. Despite his age, it’s fair to say Torreira is a key member of both teams.

With man-of-the-match performances last month against Liverpool and Bournemouth, Torreira is in great form, and Arsenal will need him to continue in that vein for a number of big games in December. Let’s hope he can.