Emery claims he’s spoken to Rob Holding about leadership group

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Arsenal named their new leadership group last week.

Arsenal boss Unai Emery has told The Mirror that he has spoken to defender Rob Holding about the lack of English representation in the club’s leadership group.

The Gunners head to Manchester United in the Premier League this evening, and it will be their first game since announcing their new leadership group.

Emery wanted ‘five captains’ last season, so named Laurent Koscielny as team captain, backed up by Petr Cech, Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil and Granit Xhaka.

Cech, Koscielny and Ramsey all moved on this summer though, meaning Emery needed to re-tool that group – and he did just that last week.

Xhaka is now the main captain, and will be aided by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Hector Bellrin and Ozil, who stays from last year’s group despite his struggles.

It has ben noted though that there is no English representation in there, as at least last year’s still included a British player in Welsh star Aaron Ramsey.

Some have talked up defender Holding for such a role, and Emery has admitted that he has spoken to the centre back about the situation.

Emery feels that Holding is a key man in the dressing room even if he isn’t in the five-man group, praising his behaviour and commitment whilst suggesting Hector Bellerin can bridge the gap as a player who has been in England for a long time now.

“I spoke with Holding about that,” said Emery. “For me, he’s a very important player in the dressing room. His behaviour and commitment are those of a captain, although he’s not in the five. But he’s going to progress and he will achieve to be in that five.

“Bellerin is Spanish but he came here very young. He’s very deep on English culture and speaks English maybe better than a lot of English people. And really in the dressing room, Hector transmits a lot of values, a lot of things in English culture and values as a professional. I usually speak with him in Spanish, but I’m going to change. Maybe next month I will speak with him in English and maybe I can learn with him,” he added.