Super Eagles and Arsenal player, Alex Iwobi has revealed how he almost left the Premier league side to join Scottish Premier League giants Celtic after Arsenal asked him to quit in 2012.
According to Tribal Football citing Arsenal’s matchday programme, Iwobi was among youngsters at the Emirates that were deemed surplus to requirement, but the 16-year-old at the time had other plans to fight for his career.
As soon he got the news he started reviewing several offers from potential suitors that saw him visit to neighbours Crystal Palace.
He said: “My situation was weird,” the 22-year-old recalled
“There was three of us at the time and we were basically told ‘stay if you want, or if not you are free to go.”
“It was up to me and at that moment I went to the Crystal Palace training ground to see them.
“I had offers from Celtic and Southampton as well. Celtic was the main one but I wasn’t ready to go to Scotland. I thought it was best to stay at Arsenal but I have to say it felt weird.
“I was playing for England but I felt maybe I wasn’t rated. My England team-mates and everyone else was getting in my ear saying that Arsenal don’t love me because they weren’t offering me a deal.
“It was hard especially because at school as well everyone was talking about it,” summed up Iwobi, who has been on top of his game as Arsenal maintain their unbeaten run after 21-game.
Interestingly, the Nigerian international is now a regular in the Gunners squad, since discovering his form under former boss Arsene Wenger in 2015.
