Hector Bellerin says playing in last summer’s Emirates Cup was a “turning point” in his career.
The Spanish right back impressed on his home debut as the Gunners beat Portuguese side Benfica 5-1 in the club’s pre-season tournament.
Bellerin is looking forward to taking part once again this weekend and says it will bring back a lot of good memories.
"It was a great experience, against a great team and the whole side put in a really good performance, hopefully we can do it again this year"
Hector Bellerin
“It was definitely a really good game [against Benfica],” he told the official matchday programme. “It was the game that gave me the chance to prove myself, and show everyone what I could do.
“It was probably one of the games that was a real turning point of my career. It was a great experience, against a great team and the whole side put in a really good performance, hopefully we can do it again this year.
“It's definitely been a really good year for me [since then]. If you had told me back then that it would have turned out like this, I wouldn't have believed you.
“So the Emirates Cup is a good chance for young players to prove themselves, because we are playing against really good teams again. It's a good chance to get the fitness back as well, and to feel competition as well.
“It's definitely one of the best summer tournaments that there is anywhere. It's only quality teams and it's a great chance to get the fitness back, to get the feel of the ball and to get used to each other again. It will be two hard games, which is what you look for before the season starts.”
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