Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta might be having a profound effect on Jorginho after the Gunners midfielder revealed his intentions to go into coaching after he retires. The 31-year-old is already thinking about what he will do when he hangs up his boots.
Jorginho remains a key player at Arsenal despite rumours of a summer exit to accommodate several midfield arrivals. His six Premier League appearances this season have included two starts, both coming in important matches against Tottenham and Manchester City.
Gunners head coach Arteta spent time learning his craft as assistant to Pep Guardiola at City between 2016 and 2019. The Spaniard may already be passing on that knowledge to his players.
Jorginho is often seen coaching his team-mates while he warms up and has admitted that he wants to pursue a career in coaching. He admits that he previously thought the career would be busy, but is now changing his mind.
“I just can’t hold it. I want to help somehow when I’m on the sidelines or warming up or from the bench, I just try and help the team somehow,” the former Chelsea star said on Colney Carpool.
“Maybe, to be honest, I thought it could maybe be a good option for the future. But I always thought I don’t want to because just playing is already so busy and to be a coach, it is even busier.
“I always thought I didn’t know, but now I get to my age, so maybe I’m changing my mind. I’m enjoying it, it’s nice.”
A January arrival from Premier League rivals Chelsea, Jorginho is one of the most experienced stars in a youthful Arsenal team. Arteta is clearly a big fan and defended the ex-Lazio star after a mistake led to a goal in the 2-2 draw with Spurs in September.
Asked to describe what happened to Jorginho to make him give the ball away, Arteta sharply responded: “What happened is I love him and we love him. Errors are part of football. They’re allowed to make errors because they play and we don’t play.
“For us it’s really easy, but if there is someone who is willing to help the team and do the most of it, it’s Jorgi. We are all with him.”
If Jorginho goes into coaching, he would follow several former Premier League midfielders in doing so. Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Patrick Vieira, Roy Keane and Xabi Alonso have all had management jobs.
