Kyle Bartley has hailed Mikael Silvestre's influence for his Arsenal debut against Olympiacos earlier this season.

Silvestre, who captained the side in Athens, joined Bartley at centre-half. The French defender is the most experienced player in the Arsenal squad and was more than happy to share his knowledge ahead of the game against Olympiacos.

"I spoke to him just before the match," Bartley told arsenal.com. "He said he wasn't nervous but really excited [when he made] his debut and told me to try and enjoy it and go out and do my best.

"Mikael is fantastic. He's got so much experience and he's played in all those atmospheres before. He is really friendly and helps you out a lot on and off the pitch."