Arsenal defender Ben White has admitted that he looks up to some of his teammates when it comes to instilling some behaviours off the pitch that are so necessary to be a success on it.
The 27-year-old has been a regular for the Gunners since joining in the summer of 2021, missing just nine Premier League games to date, and emulating some Gunners stars has helped keep him grounded.
White has mentioned Japan international Takehiro Tomiyasu as one of the teammates he admires, with his preparations helping him to get better.
“Growing up in football as well you have lots of senior players around you to look up to and who set an example,” said the Arsenal star.
“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.
“Also 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, getting himself in pristine physical shape has not helped to keep him from getting injured.
The 26-year-old is currently 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 the same summer the Englishman did.
Tomiyasu will look to finally get his injury woes behind him, and he needs plenty of luck as he has not been doing anything wrong off the pitch.
Arsenal have enjoyed the versatility and durability of White and manager Mikel Arteta will hope the Japanese can start becoming regularly available for selection going forward.
The Gunners face Chelsea on Sunday in their last game before the international break, and they could do with some injury boosts before the trip to Stamford Bridge and after the break to boost their title chances.
