Former team-mates Pepe Reina and Ronald de Boer have been speaking about how the early years of Mikel Arteta's career shaped his success as a player and now manager.

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Reina, who shared a bunk bed with Arteta while at Barcelona's fabled La Masia academy, said: "It's a character you learn there; that resilience, that strong mentality, that determination to get your goals. It's something you need to develop at La Masia because of natural selection.

"He was born as a manager. He is intelligent on the pitch and that has been demonstrated off the pitch also. The education at Barcelona as a player in his position is particularly strong and it is only normal that those players in those positions know more about football than others."

Arteta failed to make a first-team appearance for Barcelona and, after a loan spell in France with Paris St-Germain, the Spaniard moved to Scottish giants Rangers in 2002.

Aged 21, he clinched the league title in his first season at Ibrox by converting a late penalty against Dunfermline in Rangers' final game, which confirmed them as champions ahead of Celtic on goal difference.

"I knew how important it was for us," said ex-Netherlands winger De Boer, who was also part of that Rangers team. "In that moment, he took charge and nobody really expected that. We knew he was a good player but to take that responsibility at that young age was impressive." (BBC)

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