Merino recreates his childhood photos in our shirt | Gallery | News

It could be destiny that Mikel Merino would play for Arsenal at some point, especially when flicking through childhood photos of him proudly wearing our shirt!

When signing his contract, Mikel's family revealed a set of pictures of him donning the famous red and white for the first time during his youth, and he was happy to recreate those shots nearly two decades on as he fulfilled his dream of representing us.

"It's funny how life works sometimes!" he laughed. "My father was a footballer as well and I used to have t-shirts of the teams that he played in, but I never used to have other teams’ shirts. 

"One holiday my parents came home and gifted me a full Arsenal kit. I remember being all over the moon and wanting to take pictures as if I were a professional! I was there like the boss of the players! 

"It’s funny how right now I’m achieving a dream of playing in a huge club and how life works, from those pictures from 20 years ago."

Take a look at Mikel then and now in his Arsenal kit in our gallery below, and get your own Merino 23 shirt now from Arsenal Direct: