© EuroFootball.com
Trying for over a year to attract Belarusian Alexander Hleb to his team in London, finally succeeded in achieving his goal and the former player moved to England. The central midfielder, who spent five years in the Bundesliga, is now eagerly awaiting the opportunity to test his skills in the "strongest league in the world" and also help the team in the UEFA Champions League tournament.
After playing only two minutes in his first match wearing an "Arsenal" jersey, he scored his first goal for the club in a friendly match against "Barnet". After spending a month in London, he is also trying to adjust to life off the field. Moving into the apartment of former "Arsenal" player, Edu, he is intensively studying English, and all signs indicate that the player should fit in perfectly in the "Arsenal" defensive line.
" 'Arsenal' is one of the top five clubs in the world. The training facilities are fantastic, the team is full of world-class stars, and they play in a league that I consider the strongest in the world," said the 24-year-old Hleb to the uefa.com website.
During his five years with the "Stuttgart" team, coached by Felix Magath and more recently by Matthias Sammer, the Belarusian from an unknown background became an undeniable star of the Bundesliga. But now he believes that he has taken a step up: "In Stuttgart, I played in the Champions League and finished second in the Bundesliga (in the 2002-03 season). But the last season was like a transitional period - I felt that as a player I had to improve."
Hleb believes that in his new club, the worlds of European and English football blend perfectly: "'Arsenal' doesn't play typical English football. They rarely score goals with their heads because they often keep the ball on the ground. That's my style of football - I like attacking, beautiful football."
During the preseason friendly matches with "Arsenal," Hleb played on the left side, while Robert Pires moved into the center. The versatile Belarusian claims that he can play in any position in the defensive line: "While representing 'Stuttgart,' I practically played in all positions - on the right or left flank, in midfield. So I will be satisfied being able to play anywhere and be useful to the team, and anytime the coach assigns me a specific role. In today's football, top-level players must adapt."
In Stuttgart, over time, Hleb took over the number 10 and the playmaker responsibility from Bulgarian Krassimir Balakov, with whom he had a remarkable understanding. In London, Hleb deliberately decided to choose the number 13, and the English club should expect that it will bring him success in European tournaments.
"I know that 'Arsenal' is determined to perform well in the Champions League. I hope I can help them win," said the player. "I am still young and have a lot to learn. I think training under Arsène Wenger will give me plenty of opportunities. If you want something badly enough and are willing to work hard enough for it, I think that goal can be achieved."
Hleb's first major challenge awaits him this Sunday, where for the "Community Shield" (the name of the English Super Cup) trophy, the previous season's FA Cup winner "Arsenal" will face the country's champion, London's "Chelsea." By the way, Lithuanian football fans will soon have the opportunity to see this footballer live - if he doesn't get injured, he will arrive in Vilnius on August 17th with the Belarusian national team to play a friendly match against the Lithuanian national team.
