Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker has claimed that Danny Welbeck was of great help to him as he battled his way back from injury, as per Arsenal’s official website.
The German international injured his knee at the start of the season and has been out of action since, but has finally recovered returning to the first team squad this month.
Welbeck, on the other hand, has found it tough to get going at the North London club since joining from Manchester United in the summer of 2014.
The Englishman suffered a second knee injury shortly after battling back from his first one last season, however, the striker too returned at the start of this calendar year.
The 32-year-old has heaped praise on Welbeck for helping him through his recovery and revealed that the forward always lifts everyone in the dressing room.
Speaking to Arsenal Player, he said:
“He’s a top man, a sick, sick guy… even his playlists were banging to be fair.”
“Obviously when you’re injured at the same time, you share the pain. We’ve got a saying which says, ‘If you share the pain, it’s half the pain’, so we kept smiling, training and doing things together.
“There’s a little bond there which really exists but it’s all about getting back to the pitch. Danny was a little bit quicker [to return] than me, but we still had lots of training sessions where we sweated together and gave a lot.
“You see that person more than your other team-mates, so it’s nice that he embraced the challenge. I tried to support him and he supported me, so it was a very healthy thing and I think we did really well. I can only say that it was lovely to work with him. He’s very positive and lifts everyone in the dressing room.”
It’s always nice to see players helping each other in tough times and it seems the bonding between Mertesacker and Welbeck has really blossomed during their recovery from injuries.
Welbeck is really important to Arsenal’s chances of finishing the season on a high, and his form in the U-23 games has been quite impressive and hopefully the forward will continue the same with the Gunners.
Mertesacker has often had his struggles on the pitch but has often been a great personality off it and although he might be well past his prime as far as playing is concerned, the German might have a future as part of the backroom staff.
What do you say Gooners?
