Arsenal: Hector Bellerin knows what he’s talking about

Arsenal’s talented young Spaniard Hector Bellerin has a lot on his still-young resume, so Reiss Nelson should certainly be paying attention to what he has to say.

Arsenal will look to send out the kids in Cologne. It is going to be a high-octane match, seeing as how the Germans are clinging to hopes of making it out of the group and, in order to make that happen, they have to start with a win against already-through Arsenal, who just need a point to secure top spot in the group.

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As such, there is a good deal of chatter about who should be out there on the pitch in a match that may or may not mean a damn thing.

The names that are coming into question are players that are useful in the primary squad. The likes of Danny Welbeck and Olivier Giroud. These are two guys fresh off injuries and with a hectic holiday period and a game that is iffy in terms of meaning, there is a lot to think about before you just throw them all out there.

But another question is Reiss Nelson and where you play him. I have been advocating for him to play in an attacking role since he made the comments about wanting to play in that role. But chances are, he will still be used at wingback, as Arsene Wenger is clearly intent on teaching him the role.

Hector Bellerin would know a thing or two about that. Bellerin used to be an attacker at Barcelona’s La Masia, Arsenal made him a defender, and now they have asked him to take the best of both and become a wingback.

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He expressed his own doubts at the start, expressing his desire to play as a traditional fullback, but it’s clear that he’s growing into the position and, in the mean time, he sees that Nelson is in a similar situation and has offered some advice.

It was a long spiel, but in short, Bellerin’s message can be summarized with “listen to those around you.” Bellerin also warned for Nelson to keep his feet on the ground, which ties into listening. He’s so young and he has so much to learn, as does Bellerin, and they have some fantastic resources in their squad already to learn from and to help them acclimate to the shifts that come with any footballing career.

Plus, Bellerin was being a bit modest. Nelson can learn a lot from the Spaniard himself, as they are quite similar players.

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So much so that I can’t think of another player that Nelson shares as much with in terms of skills and career path, than Bellerin.