Hector Bellerin: ‘Steve Bould taught me how to defend’

Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin has stated that assistant manager Steve Bould has played a big part in his development at the club.

The 20-year-old, who moved to the Emirates from Barcelona in 2012, has established himself as the Gunners’ first-choice right-back in the past year, moving ahead of Mathieu Debuchy in the pecking order.

However, Bellerin has revealed that he was not much of a defender until Bould started coaching him. “When I first came to Arsenal, I didn’t know how to defend,” the Spaniard told Sky Sports News. “If there was a person who I had to identify as helping me a lot, that would have to be Bould.

I was a winger but from the Under-18s up, I remember him just showing me the basics. “Even then, I remember him sometimes holding his head like, ‘What is Hector doing?’ He’s been one of the key people in my career.

He’s one of the reasons I’m here now. “Steve was a top defender himself and has so much knowledge. Sometimes when he’s speaking, I just laugh because he makes it look so easy and so obvious, and you haven’t realised before.

I really enjoy learning with him.” Bellerin has made 16 appearances for Arsenal so far this season.