Arteta is considered one of the best players ever to put on an Everton shirt, while he also had spells at Paris Saint-Germain, Rangers and Real Sociedad. After retiring, Arteta became manager at his former club Arsenal, guiding them to the FA Cup in 2020. In doing so, he became the first player to win the FA Cup as both captain and manager of the Gunners.
Arteta began his playing career in the Barcelona academy and played for Barcelona's B team. However, he was unable to break into the first team. He was sent out on loan to PSG before joining Rangers in March 2002 in a £6million deal.
He quickly established himself in Glasgow, becoming a first-team regular. Highlights in his first full season included scoring on his Old Firm debut and converting a penalty on the final day of the season to help Rangers win the league on goal difference. This formed part of a domestic treble of Scottish Premier League, Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup won by Rangers in 2003.
The 2003/04 season started with Arteta scoring six goals in six straight games, helping the club to qualify for the Champions League group stages. However, it was to be a poor campaign for Rangers and after two seasons in Glasgow, he returned home to San Bastian, joining Real Sociedad for €5.2million. This move didn't work out as Arteta failed to establish himself in the first team, meaning he was soon on the move again.
Arteta joined Everton FC on loan in the 2005 January transfer window. He was an integral part of an Everton side that finished fourth in the Premier League in the 2004/05 season. This gave them the chance of qualifying for the Champions League group stages, but they lost in the final qualifying round to Villarreal.
After bringing him in on loan, manager David Moyes signed him to a permanent five-year deal in July 2005 for a fee of £2million.
In his first full season in English football, Arteta picked up both the Everton Fans' Player of the Season and the Players' Player of the Season awards.
The following season, Arteta scored nine goals in 35 league games and won the Players' Player of the Season award for the second straight year. He was also recognised by fans of other clubs, winning the Premier League's 'Midfielder of the Year' award as voted for by Sky Sports viewers, beating Cristiano Ronaldo in the process.
For the third straight year, Arteta continued to shine for the Toffees. He won Player of the Year once more and helped Everton qualify for the UEFA Cup. As a result of his strong performances, he signed a new five-year contract in the summer of 2007.
Despite his excellent form for Everton, it wasn't until February 2009 when Arteta was called up by his country. He was named in the Spain squad but suffered a ligament injury just days after his inclusion, ruling him out of action for almost a year. This unfortunate timing meant he never got the opportunity to play for Spain.
In August 2010, Arteta signed a new five-year contract extension with the Toffees but he wouldn't stay at Goodison Park much longer, moving to London a year later.
Arteta signed a four-yer deal with Arsenal on August 31, 2011, for a reported fee of £10million. He made his debut as Arsenal beat Swansea on September 10 and scored his first Arsenal goal in a 4-3 defeat to Blackburn Rovers a week later. He first captained the side in an FA Cup third-round victory over Leeds United on January 9, 2012, which was notable as it was Thierry Henry's second debut for the Gunners.
An injury prematurely ended his first season with the Gunners, having made 29 appearances and scoring six times. The fans recognised his impact at the club, voting him the fifth most important player of the 2011/12 campaign in their Player of the Season poll.
After Robin van Persie left the club, Arteta was named vice-captain and helped the club to their 17th straight top four finish in the 2012/13 season. The following year, he won his first major honour in English soccer, captaining the side to a 3-2 win over Hull City in the 2014 FA Cup final. He was instrumental in helping the Gunners reach the final, scoring against his former side Everton in the quarter-finals as well as in a semi-final penalty shootout against Wigan Athletic.
Two years after being named as vice-captain, he became the new club captain. His success was instant as he guided Arsenal to a 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the 2014 Community Shield. However, despite his appointment, he only played 11 times. He signed his final contract as a player at the end of the season, which kept him at the club for the 2015/16 campaign.
He came on as a substitute in Arsenal's 1-0 victory over Chelsea in the 2015 Community Shield final, which marked his first competitive game for the club since the previous November. His final game for the Gunners came on the last day of the season against Aston Villa in which he was introduced to the action and received a standing ovation.
Having not played a game for the Spanish first team, in 2010, Fabio Capello enquired about the possibility of Arteta playing for England under FIFA's five-year residency rule. However, this did not go through, meaning that he never played an international first team match.
After leaving Arsenal, Arteta joined Manchester City as an assistant manager under former Barcelona academy team-mate, Pep Guardiola. As Guardiola's protege, Arteta honed his managerial skills and stood in for him in a 2-1 Champions League defeat to Lyon in September 2018. At City, Arteta won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and two EFL Cups.
After three years in Manchester, Arteta was appointed head coach of his former club, Arsenal, signing a three-and-a-half-year deal in December 2019. His first game in charge was a Boxing Day draw against Bournemouth, while he secured his first win on New Year's Day as Arsenal beat Manchester United at home 2-0.
Arteta won his first trophy as Arsenal head coach in 2020, securing the FA Cup. His side beat Manchester City 2-0 in the semi-finals before defeating Chelsea 2-1 in the showpiece game. This was Arsenal's 14th FA Cup success as Arteta became the first person to win the FA Cup as both captain and manager of Arsenal. He also became the first Arsenal boss to win a trophy in his first season at the club since George Graham in 1986/87.
After winning the 2020 Community Shield, Arteta's role officially changed from head coach to manager. His second season with the Gunners did not go as well though as the Gunners were knocked out of the FA Cup in the fourth round by Southampton. This was Arteta's first FA Cup defeat as manager. Meanwhile, his Arsenal team stuttered through the Premier League season, finishing in eighth place and ending their 25-year stretch of competing in European competitions. Arsenal also reached the semi-finals of the Europa League before being knocked out by eventual champions Villarreal.
Mikel Arteta is married to actress, television host and model Lorena Bernal. The couple have three children.
According to Goal.com, Mikel Arteta has an estimated net worth of £15million. As a player of two Premier League sides, Arteta was earning lucrative money. At Everton, he was earning £75,000 a week.
As Arsenal manager, it is rumoured that Arteta is earning £5million a year and will earn around £20million over the duration of his contract.
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