Things could have turned out very differently for William Saliba.
Arsenal star William Saliba has revealed that he often ‘sulked’ as a young player before changing his position from a forward to a central defender.
The 22-year-old has emerged as one of the Premier League’s finest centre-backs during his time at Arsenal after honing his craft over several loan spells in his native France.
Saliba is widely regarded as a world-class operator in his position, with his impressive technical ability and strong physical presence serving him well in most defensive situations.
It was a totally different story when he was younger, though, given that he started out as a striker with local club Bondy.
“I was just six when I started out at Bondy, my local club,” Saliba told Arsenal’s official website.
“It was the local club where I grew up, so I knew everyone there.
I played as a striker back then when I was young and I loved it.
“I would say I was one of the best players in the team, maybe the best player, I don’t know.
Let’s just say I was in the top two or three! There were some very good players in that team too.
Some of them have gone on to play professionally, not just in France but everywhere.”
Things could have turned out very differently for William Saliba.
Arsenal star William Saliba has revealed that he often ‘sulked’ as a young player before changing his position from a forward to a central defender.
The 22-year-old has emerged as one of the Premier League’s finest centre-backs during his time at Arsenal after honing his craft over several loan spells in his native France.
“I was just six when I started out at Bondy, my local club,” Saliba told Arsenal’s official website.
“It was the local club where I grew up, so I knew everyone there.
I played as a striker back then when I was young and I loved it.
“I would say I was one of the best players in the team, maybe the best player, I don’t know.
Let’s just say I was in the top two or three! There were some very good players in that team too.
Some of them have gone on to play professional.
William Saliba started out playing football as a striker for his local club in France.
Saliba went on to explain that he struggled with his attitude at times, which often resulted in him facing his manager’s wrath for ‘sulking’ on the training ground.
However, he eventually managed to put things right by learning to react better when things went against him.
“I always wanted to win,” he added. “That’s all I wanted when I was a young player.
I wanted to win every game and that’s what really motivated me at that age.
I wanted to score in every game, but I wouldn’t say I was a selfish player
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