Dubai - In September 2014, Welbeck became only the fifth person in this millennium to play for Man U and Arsenal
By Abhishek Sengupta
Published: Tue 12 Feb 2019, 11:00 PM
Last updated: Thu 14 Feb 2019, 12:32 AM
Arsenal star Danny Welbeck may be sidelined due to injury currently but on Wednesday afternoon at the Dubai's Sevens grounds, the striker was in his elements.
Dodging tricky questions by seven and eight-year-old aspiring Arsenal stars at the club's soccer school just as he wriggled past the Swedes in the box for his now famous back heel winner for England in Euro 2012, Welbeck seemed to enjoy his time out.
"That remains my most famous goal," he gleamed while describing his 'most famous' career goal in response to a question by a young Arsenal trainee while managing to smile through some serious queries like "Emery or Wenger?", "Ronaldo or Messi?", "Arsenal or Manchester United?".
Moments earlier during a candid one-on-one chat with Khaleej Times, he recalled what it was like interacting with football heroes during his childhood years. "As a kid, growing up and watching Premier League players on TV was always inspiring. It's great to be here for a couple of days and visit the soccer school. It's a nice little treat and something I enjoy doing," said Welbeck, who is recuperating from a second ankle surgery after being carried off midway through the first half of Arsenal's Europa League draw against Sporting Lisbon last October.
"Fortunately for me I grew up in Manchester United academy. So I had quite a few encounters with some of the players. The main inspiration for me growing up was Wes Brown, not because we lived exactly opposite to each other but because I could see him train and play at Manchester United every day and it was like a direct inspiration for me. (so it was like) If he could play, I could too," he reminisced of his boyhood hero with whom he shared the dressing room at Manchester United for two years from 2008 to 2010 before reuniting briefly during a loan spell at Sunderland.
In September 2014, Welbeck became only the fifth person in this millennium to play for both clubs after completing his £16 million switch to the Emirates stadium.
Quick questions Welbeck answered during a meet and greet session with young footballers at Arsenal Soccer School:
Most important skill? Brain
Most famous goal? Goal against Sweden in Euro 2012
Why did you move to Arsenal? Because of circumstances
When you were eight, what position did you play? All over the field
How much effort do you put while training? 100 per cent
How does it feel to score? Always a great feeling |
"In football it is difficult for people to see it as a job but it is a job and you have got to be professional in your approach. Obviously (this comes up having) been at Manchester United and then moving to Arsenal but when it's game time, there's nothing called friends. Once you are on that pitch, you try and win that game. You try and do the best for your team and yourself on the pitch on that day. You see it as any other game and you try and win it," added Welbeck, who - if reports are to believed - looks set to join Aaron Ramsey in Juventus for free later in the summer after the expiry of his current contract that saw him spend five injury-plagued seasons at the Emirates stadium.
His 16 goals from his 88 appearances (he scored four more for Manchester United from four more appearances) including his first treble - a Uefa Champions League hat trick against Galatasaray in 2014, may not be a true reflection of his talent but he relishes his chances at Arsenal.
"No professional footballer wants to get injured. You want to be participating in the training, in the games as much as you can. Injuries is hard to take but it is something you can't be negative about. I think you have to try and find a little positive, however hard that may be. You got to be resilient and then devise ways to get stronger mentally," said the 28-year old England international who's scored another 16 goals for the Three Lions having been capped 42 times.
abhishek@khaleejtimes.com
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