Dejan Iliev, the former Arsenal goalkeeper, recently discussed his time at the club, highlighting his experiences with Arsene Wenger and Petr Cech.

His journey from Macedonia to Arsenal’s first team was a pivotal moment in his career, leading to significant growth and development as a goalkeeper.

Former Arsenal goalkeeper Dejan Iliev, who recently signed with FC Sarajevo, opened up about his experience at Arsenal, where he had the opportunity to work under Arsene Wenger and alongside Petr Cech.

His move to Sarajevo, which will finalise on January 1st, comes after a stint with Finnish club Helsingin.

In an interview after his arrival in Bosnia, Iliev fondly recalled the rapid transition from Macedonia to London, which marked the beginning of his journey with Arsenal.

“Things happened very quickly,” Iliev said. “I was in Macedonia, and then in a day or two I found myself in London. I trained in the Academy, and then I was transferred to the first team. It was a shock to me. I was burning with the desire to prove myself and be even better because it is not easy to reach such an opportunity.”

During his time at Arsenal, Iliev trained under the watchful eye of Arsene Wenger, who he says demanded excellence. “At every training session, Wenger demanded that we be at the highest level and do our best. We had to pay attention to all the details,” Iliev recalled.

When asked about the greatest goalkeeper he had worked with at Arsenal, Iliev didn’t hesitate to mention Petr Cech. “My idol since childhood was Petr Cech. I analysed and followed him for a long time. When he came to the club, we got along well and talked. It is about an intelligent person who wants to progress and learn,” said Iliev.

Iliev’s tenure at Arsenal was a significant period in his career, offering him the chance to train and learn from some of the best in the field.

His reflections on this time reveal the impact of working with top talents and high-calibre coaching, shaping his approach to football and goalkeeping.

Iliev left Arsenal on a free transfer to AS Trencin in February 2022. After a few months without a club at the end of the same year, Iliev signed with HJK Helsinki where he remained until this latest move.

Now 28, he has 18 cleansheets in 51 professional games.