Former Rangers midfielder and now Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was one of the first footballing cases of the coronavirus on UK shores.
The 38-year-old talented former midfielder contracted the virus almost two weeks ago [BBC Sport] and has since been in self-isolation recovering.
Talking after the Spaniard made a full recovery from the virus, Arteta has urged everyone to cherish those around them and enjoy the time they have in other people’s company.
“We are in a world here where everything is social media, everything is a WhatsApp text,” said Arteta [Arsenal].
“But how important is touching each other, feeling each other and hugging each other?
“I miss that with a lot of the people I love.
“We have to be emotionally more open. We have to tell each other what we are feeling.”
Having gone through a period without the close connections of those around him this has clearly had a profound effect on the former Everton, Real Sociedad, PSG and Barcelona player.
In the revealing interview with Arsenal, Arteta also opened up on his concerns about his children and family after his wife and nanny were said to have contracted the virus.
Arteta’s words are even more poignant as stricter measures to keep people indoors in order to ease the strain on the NHS were introduced across the United Kingdom.
And it was in support of the NHS in which Arteta rounded on the discussion over his experience with Covid, urging us all to stay home.
“We are a little bit behind other countries, for example Spain, where I know the situation they are living at the moment, and while we are having the opportunity a little bit to minimise the risk, I encourage everybody please to be responsible and stay at home as much as possible,” said Arteta.
“That is all we can do from our position, we don’t have the ability to help others in other circumstances, so please at least stay at home and do what is required.
“We have to try to help the NHS as much as possible and we have to give the opportunity to the elderly people who needs this more than anybody else to get the treatment they require.
“We have to slow the process down and the virus down, so please stay at home.”
Mikel Arteta played for Rangers between 2002 and 2004 making 68 appearances and winning three trophies in the treble-winning campaign of 02/03.
