Daniel Ballard has admitted that it was a ‘big shock’ when he stepped into first team training at Arsenal, in an interview with the Fancy A Kickabout Podcast.
Ballard had the experience of training with Arsenal’s senior squad over the summer, but Arteta’s demands caught him by surprise at first.
The Spaniard has demanded that his Arsenal team build from the back.
Ballard admits that he has previously been more comfortable in taking a no risk approach to defending.
But the 21-year-old says that he is now working on becoming more adept in possession.
“It was a big shock, when I was training with the first team and what Arteta was asking from the centre-backs,” he said.
“It was some things I wasn’t necessarily comfortable with. I’d describe myself as more of an old fashioned centre-back, who loves defending and heading the ball and tackling, but that’s not enough if you’re going to play in the Premier League.
“That’s been one thing that I’ve been trying to work on.”
Arsenal have actually loaned Ballard out to Blackpool to help him earn more regular football.
The youngster has performed well at League One level, with Blackpool now making a push for the play offs.
If Ballard does return to Arsenal in the summer, he has plenty of competition for a place in their first-team, with Arteta’s side well stocked at centre-back.
But he should be an improved player with regular football under his belt, and it will be interesting to see how he copes over pre-season at the Emirates Stadium.
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