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‘Things you want to strive towards’: Dan Ballard wowed by £100k-a-week Arsenal man
Arsenal academy graduate Dan Ballard has waxed lyrical about Gunners defender David Luiz, saying he wants to emulate the Brazilian star.
Luiz was an £8million signing from Chelsea in the summer of 2019, replacing then Arsenal club captain Laurent Koscielny, who joined Bordeaux the previous day.
The 33-year-old was then handed an extra 12 months on his deal last year after impressing Mikel Arteta with the impact he had on the younger members of the squad.
Luiz has made 68 appearances for Arsenal to date, and though his contract expires in the summer, Arteta has said he’ll have discussions with the defender at the end of the season.
Ballard, a defender who has come through the ranks at Hale End and is currently on loan at Blackpool, spoke on the about Luiz.
“The big one (I want to emulate) was David Luiz, just because of how he is as a character and he makes you feel welcome,” the Northern Irishman said.
“Some of the things he does, on the ball particularly, is a lot of stuff I need to improve. It’s amazing to see the confidence and technique he has. They are the things you want to strive towards.”
Ballard also said he wanted to emulate compatriot Jonny Evans, saying “you can see how experienced, how calm and how in control he looks. It rubs off on you.”
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Luiz has split opinion during much of his time at Arsenal but there’s no denying his leadership and experience have been beneficial for the Gunners on and off the pitch.
Another contract extension for the defender wouldn’t be a bad thing by any means, particularly when you count how much he can help out the Hale End stars.