Arsenal defender Ben White has admitted that he admires the way some of his teammates conduct themselves off the pitch.
The 27-year-old has been a regular for the Gunners since joining in 2021, and emulating some Gunners stars has helped keep him grounded.
White mentioned Takehiro Tomiyasu and Martin Odegaard as two players he respects.
“Growing up in football, you have lots of senior players around you to look up to and who set an example,” White told the club’s official website.
“You try to take bits and pieces from lots of different players when you start out, but really I’m still doing that now. There are a few players in our squad that I look up to.
“Tomiyasu for example – he does some crazy things! The exercises and things that he does in preparation are just so different to what I’ve known before in football.
“Martin Odegaard is a great example in how he trains. He’s always getting massages, having a cold bath and making the most of things like that. His preparation and professionalism is amazing.”
Unfortunately for Tomiyasu, he is unavailable for selection after suffering a setback to the knee injury that kept him out at the start of the season.
While White has since played 144 games for Arsenal, his Japanese counterpart has played just 84 times despite joining the club at the same time.
Tomiyasu will look to finally get his injury woes behind him, and he needs plenty of luck as he has not done anything wrong off the pitch.
Arsenal have enjoyed White’s versatility and durability, but manager Mikel Arteta will hope Tomiyasu can start becoming regularly available for selection.
The Gunners face Chelsea on Sunday in their last game before the international break, and they could do with some injury boosts to boost their title chances.
