Freddie Ljungberg is leaving the club to pursue new challenges as a coach.
We spoke to technical director Edu, head coach Mikel Arteta and first-team player Bukayo Saka to get their reaction.
EDU
I'm a little bit sad of course because as everybody knows we are very close friends. We worked together as footballers and then we had the opportunity to work together outside the field as well.
I remember the beautiful time we had together and I always mention to him that he was the first person to invite me to go to a dinner, and I remember Fred with his hat, hair, the style, sometimes people looked and said 'Oh Fred's a crazy guy' but he was totally the opposite and he treated me as a very close friend and we built a very nice relationship.
I'm going to be following his future because I want to see him succeeding, because he deserves that. He is prepared to go for the next step and I am always going to follow him and support him as much as I can.
MIKEL ARTETA
It goes a long way back since he was a player and the legacy he left with his unique personality and his ability, and after it's always great to have people like him at the football club. I think he had the right path at the club by starting first of all at Hale End, then Colney and then all the way to the first team.
That transition since I joined as well, he knew exactly what happened with Unai and when he was an interim [head coach] it was really helpful in that transition for us to get the right information.
I think we all have to appreciate the work that he's done for the football club, his commitment, his passion for it, and just wish him all the best in his new chapter.
BUKAYO SAKA
The first time I met him, of course I was quite young so I was obviously in awe of him because he was a legend for Arsenal and he played in many successful Arsenal teams. But as soon as we started to work with him he always gave me advice because he played in my position as well. He gave me different advice on running in behind, finishing techniques, little things that have also helped my game.
He knows the game as much as anyone else. He's been there and played in the Premier League for many years. He would normally tell me how a game was going to go. If I was playing against a certain opponent, [he would tell me] how I'm going to match up against him and what I need to do to get the better of him, his weaknesses and stuff like that. He'd help me with that and of course on the mentality side he'd always encourage me. In all the aspects of the game, he was always trying to help me.
He's always gone out of his way to help me and push me to progress to the next level, so yeah I'm grateful for all the work he's done and I wish him all the best wherever he goes.
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