Héctor Bellerín, now 31 and playing for Real Betis, has spoken warmly about his decade at Arsenal ahead of facing his former club for the first time, in a pre-season friendly at Dublin's Aviva Stadium. The Spanish full-back described leaving the club as painful but said his affection for Arsenal remains undimmed, crediting manager Mikel Arteta, a former teammate and close friend, with shaping him both as a player and a person.

Bellerín recalled a formative moment as a teenager when Arteta arranged a meeting with a financial adviser to teach him about money management, an act of care he says he now tries to pass on to younger players, including Real Betis's 19-year-old winger José Antonio Morante. He also reflected fondly on former Arsenal teammates such as Bukayo Saka, Ben White, Serge Gnabry, Santi Cazorla and Nacho Monreal, expressed delight at Arsenal's recent Premier League title win ending their long wait for the championship, and spoke candidly about broader concerns over greed and pressure within modern football.