Arsenal young talent Reiss Nelson recently opened up about his time at Feyenoord. Currently on loan at the Dutch club, he is in contention to play in the Europa Conference League final.
The presence of Saka and Gabriel Martinelli is another reason that time on the pitch may be scarce for Nelson. But the young attacker insists that he is determined to make his mark. Speaking to The Athletic, he admitted that he was perhaps unfocused during his time in North London prior to the loan move, but is keen to make amends.
I didn’t really care what I was eating. I was maybe staying up too late and I was just doing a lot of different stuff. But now, I actually need those extra hours to recover. At the start, I hated going to the gym just to do little stretches. Now I literally have to come in earlier to do 15 minutes of stretching, then come back in after training to do extra bits on my groin or my hamstrings.
Nelson’s progress has not been as fast as he liked. Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe, both his juniors are already a vital part of the Gunners squad. Nelson, on the other hand, has struggled for game time.
Nelson’s Arsenal Future
Another point brought up by Nelson is how life has been under the tutelage of ex-Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie. The Dutchman was one of the most lethal strikers of his time, but a move to Manchester United alienated many of his admirers at the Emirates.
Yeah, I speak with him. Sometimes he comes over on a Wednesday, before Europa Conference League games on a Thursday. I ask him about what positions I need to be getting in. Certain movements I need to be doing, certain finishes
Van Persie may not be a liked man at Arsenal. But his talent and instinct for goal were unmatched. Arsenal fans can only be thrilled if another Hale End graduate is under the wing of the legendary striker. Nelson certainly has potential. It will be exciting to see if he can make his way into Mikel Arteta’s squad next season.
Follow us on Twitter for more updates.
