He was born in Catalonia. He spent eight years in Barcelona's academy, La Masia. Still, Hector Bellerin is Arsenal through and through. A genuine Gunner.After two years in the North London club's youth categories, the defender enjoyed a seven-year spell at the Emirates Stadium – aside from two loan stints at Watford and Real Betis – and became one of Arsenal's most beloved players of the 21st century.The Gunners' faithful quickly accepted him as one of their own, and he has never stopped giving that love back. Even now, four years after leaving the club, while proudly wearing the Betis shirt, his affection for Arsenal remains as strong as ever.One of our own, Héctor Bellerín, holding the Arsenal Champions flag with some Arsenal fans at Dublin Airport. ✈️❤️Once a Gunner, always a Gunner. 🔴⚪ pic.twitter.com/xZBqeSpNgA— Kristdaniel (@krist_AFC) August 7, 2026 In an interview with The Guardian, Bellerin touched on his London days, recalled some fond memories, and discussed the impact Mikel Arteta had on his career.Arteta was his captain for two seasons, and later manager for three more, and Bellerin still remembers his first days in the senior squad and conversations with the current Arsenal boss."When I arrived that afternoon, he was sitting with a financial adviser and they started to ask: 'How much do you spend on this?' 'How much do you spend on that?'." "I was young, I’d just started to make money and spend money: on clothes, cars, the things we all do when you’re not really aware. I was pitching low. I felt embarrassed, ashamed, but I left with a lesson in humility and affection."Arteta and Bellerin during Arsenal's training session in November 2014 (©AFP)"Mikel was the first player who showed me that I was important to him, that I mattered. He demonstrates real care, if not through a hug." "I said: 'Thank you.' He said: 'If you do the same for a teammate one day I’m happy.' The legacy he left is one I try to pass on so young players feel looked after and that’s an experience that defines Mikel very well."Bellerin also highlighted the place Arsenal has in his heart.##EDITORS_CHOICE##"I have an incredible feeling of love for the club. There are still players I grew up with: Bukayo [Saka], Ben White, the manager, coaches, staff. It still feels like family for me. My appreciation and affection for them is immense." "I became a footballer there. I’m sure that my life, my way of being, of thinking, my conscience, all the things that represent me, were latent in me but they needed a place where they could be expressed. London gave me that space where I could explore my world, mature. There are places that could constrain you, but London was somewhere I could expand, explore life."The Gunners' long-awaited Premier League triumph after 22 years thrilled Bellerin and reminded him of the first trophy he won with Arteta – the 2020 FA Cup."I would have loved to have been to the title-winning parade, but we still had games here. I was there in that moment of transition in Mikel’s first year as manager. But we won the FA Cup which was a key moment." Bellerin, Arteta, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, and Sead Kolasinac celebrate the 2020 FA Cup trophy (©David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images/Gallo Images)"One of the lovely things when they won the league was lots of people sent messages and I felt part of it. There are so many people I talk to, we’re all Gunners, and it was like a liberation, a release after so long."The 31-year-old also reflected on the enormous impact Arteta has had on his career and how grateful he is to him, adding that he and two other former Arsenal teammates never doubted the Spanish tactician would win the Premier League one day.“I was talking to Nacho [Monreal] and Santi [Cazorla]: it would be great if the three of us could go for a game. We were the group with Mikel. We knew that with Mikel one day Arsenal would win the league." Arteta's pattern: Never-ending hunt for goalkeepers"In training he would ask: 'What did you do at Barcelona? I would do this …' [Later] I was with him a year and a half [as coach] and I could say that 80% of my football came through Mikel’s mind. His is a totally different vision. There’s an understanding, an observation, he sees patterns, and has a very specific language." "I’d go so far as to say that he has put extra years on my career. I play totally differently to how I did at 19. That’s about experience but also a lot about what I learnt from Mikel: how to help my teammate, create advantages in my space. Bloody hell, I owe Mikel so much."After three seasons under Arteta, Bellerin decided to part ways with Arsenal. When it was time to say goodbye, it wasn't easy.“Our relationship going from teammates to coach and player was strange. I’m not sure we knew how to manage the transition. But face to face there was always that past there which meant we could talk honestly." Arsenal star William Saliba returns to his Cameroonian roots"I had decided that I had to go, but it wasn’t a conversation; it was lots of them going back a year. I feel huge admiration for him. And Betis arrived in the moment that I needed it.”Still, there were no hard feelings when the two sides parted ways. If anything, their relationship remained as strong as ever. Nevertheless, the right-back was apprehensive about life after leaving the club.“There’s not a specific reason. Something happened but it’s not a thing; it’s more that there’s a kind of disconnect in which I felt that I could no longer help the club and the club could no longer help me." "We managed that in the most amicable way. Maybe I needed to be close to my roots, home. It had been a long time. When you leave a club like Arsenal, it’s scary, eh. Scary. It hurts, mate: look, however much you know that your moment is over, it was your home. You were there for 10 years, you leave friends behind, a life … you don’t know what you are going to find on the other side. I was lucky."Hector Bellerin and Mikel Arteta reunited after Arsenal's pre-season loss to Real Betis ❤️ pic.twitter.com/VWRALgVjdy— TikiAnaly (@TikiAnaly) August 7, 2026 In hindsight, the split worked out well for both the player and the club. After brief spells with Barcelona and Sporting Lisbon, Bellerin found a new home at Betis and captained them against his boyhood club in a friendly two days ago, while Arsenal have re-established themselves among Europe's elite.“It’s been good for both of us. Look where Arsenal are. We’re in the Champions League, we won the cup. I’m in a very good moment. It was right." "The Champions League final hurt but it’s important that doesn’t overshadow Arsenal’s progress. They are where they deserve to be; it’s a very sweet moment. To be able to face them now, the best team in Europe, is the business,” Bellerin concluded.The Arsenal supporters often use the phrase Once a Gunner, always a Gunner. Few players embody that phrase better than Hector Bellerin.##NAJAVA_MECA_9883156##