Arsenal new boy Gabriel Martinelli has explained how awestruck he was when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made an effort to reach out to him when he first joined the club this summer.
The 18-year-old striker just had a fine full debut for the Gunners as he hit a brace in last night’s 5-0 thrashing of Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup, and says Aubameyang has been helping him at the club.
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In general, Martinelli says everyone at the Emirates Stadium has been nice and helpful with him, but singled out Aubameyang for going that extra mile for him early on.
He told Globo Esporte: “It hadn’t sunk in yet. I arrived for lunch on the first day, I’m eating there, Aubameyang arrives and sits next to me, speaking Portuguese with me, ‘Tudo bem?’, trying to communicate.
“You see, the guy so good, humble. I was like: ‘Man, Aubameyang, who I saw on TV, came to talk to me!’
“He’s also a guy who gave me a lot of support at the club, trying to communicate with me. I have to thank everyone at the club. They’re very nice people.”
Arsenal fans will no doubt love to hear just how influential Aubameyang is behind the scenes, with the Gabon international also a star performer on the pitch.
If he can help Martinelli become as prolific a centre-forward as he’s been, he’ll have played a crucial role in helping the club both on and off the pitch.