Friday saw the launch of Arsenal’s new Arsenal Hub and our very own Per Mertesacker and Francis Coquelin were in attendance for the grand unveiling.

The Arsenal Hub is a centre which 1,500 local people can attend in order to be educated on sports.

Based around a 50m long, AstroTurf pitch, the centre has everything you need to learn about sports education, including classrooms and meeting space.

Located close to the Emirates stadium, the Arsenal Hub opens properly later this year but the grand opening saw 100 attendees turn up to take a look at the centre’s fantastic facilities.

The BFG was clearly impressed, telling Arsenal.com, “As a player you are always concerned with what happens on the pitch, but it is great to see some of the work that the club does away from that.”

The centreback added, “Growing up, I know how much I would have enjoyed a centre like this, right by my club’s stadium. So I am very happy that local people here have it.”

Alan Sefton, the head of the Arsenal in the Community project, was also quick to praise the centre he was part of creating. “We are really excited to be up and running in our new centre. It’s a fantastic facility which will allow us to run more sessions and work with more individuals in the local area than ever before,” he said.

Islington North’s MP, Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn, was also in attendance and hailed Arsenal’s positive impact on the local community.

“The opening of the Arsenal Hub is really exciting for the borough. It will allow lots of people to fulfil their dream of playing and enjoying football and fitness at a centre by Emirates Stadium, and will have a positive impact on the local community as a whole.”