Leon Osman could tell Mikel Arteta would go into management someday, and he’s only heard good things about the Arsenal head coach’s decisions so far.

Speaking this week in The Sportsman, Leon Osman discussed his former teammate Mikel Arteta. The two played together at Everton before Arteta made his move to North London.

As Arsenal fans, we all know what Arteta was like as a player on the pitch. Osman gave some insight as to what the 37-year-old was like behind the scenes, and how that made him a good fit for management.

“What he brought to Everton was a change in attitude off the pitch,” Osman said. “That culture, he was the point in football, the foreign players changed things but he improved standards. No drinking, real professionalism, extra care in what he ate.

“How well he could be playing, so fit and you wanted to be at that standard too.

“He was ahead of his time, he was a student of the game and I always felt he would go into management because he sees the game in a good way, he’s tactically very good and became captain with his leadership quality.”

I don’t know about any of you, but that all sounds very reminiscent of Arsene Wenger to me. No wonder the Frenchman made Arteta his captain if he was convincing teammates to work on improving their diet and professionalism off the pitch.

Positive early signs in coaching

Arteta ended his playing days in 2016, joining Manchester City as an assistant coach. Now he’s the head coach at Arsenal.

On those two fronts, Osman thinks the Spaniard had a good pathway into management. He’s heard good things about Arteta’s coaching so far.

“To see him with Pep Guardiola (at Manchester City) the education he will have got in that stint as assistant manager will have improved him,” Osman continued. “People are saying nothing but good things about his first decisions and what he’s done.”