Former Arsenal player Joe Willock has slammed Gunners boss Mikel Arteta for his departure from the club.
Willock, a Hale End Academy graduate, was part of Arteta’s team in the early months of the Spaniard’s reign, but after granting the youngster fleeting opportunities, Arteta loaned him to Newcastle.
The midfielder impressed on Tyneside under Steve Bruce, helping to keep the Magpies in the Premier League. He then joined Newcastle permanently, having felt he was unlikely to be given a fair crack of the whip at the Emirates Stadium.
He told The Daily Telegraph: “I wasn’t valued at Arsenal; that became clear. When I had a meeting with them, it was obvious they wanted me to go. Yeah, it hurt.
“I’d given my life to Arsenal. I didn’t feel valued anymore, and that was it; I was going to sign for Newcastle after that.”
