Saliba has become one of Europe’s best defenders in recent years under manager Mikel Arteta who has partnered him up for Brazil star Gabriel in a ruthless defensive duo. The Gunners bought Saliba from Saint-Etienne in a £27M deal in 2019 and he continues to justify his price tag each week for the North London side.
Speaking to the club website however, the Frenchman admits that he used to be a very different player who often sought to use less energy and give less effort which led him to learn the value of hard work.
“What was the first lesson that I got? If you want to be a top player, you have to work hard. Harder than everyone else,” William reveals, reflecting on his time at his hometown club AS Bondy, in north-east Paris.
“Everyone in my first club, every coach that I had there, they all taught me that.” And William admits with a smile that it was a lesson he needed teaching: “Yes, because when I was young, I was a bit lazy.
“I was lazy to run. I would just do two or three sprints in the game, then I would stand there and put my hands on my hips like this!’ he laughs. “So I was lazy, but then I realised that if you want to be a top player, you have to run. You have to run a lot.”
Saliba didn’t start playing in defence until he was 14, up until that point he was a striker who played under Kylian Mbappe’s father who he states pushed him to be a better player who didn’t laze around on the pitch.
“I didn’t play with Mbappe,” William says. “He was a different age group and back then we weren’t allowed to play up above your age. It’s different now.
“When I was 11, Kylian’s dad was my coach for one year. He took the under-11s and he was a very good coach. He never hid anything from you with his words, he was always honest and I liked that. So I’m sure he told me not to be lazy!
“Even at that age, if you are not doing something well, you need to be told that if you want to improve and sign for a club one day. I needed that as well.”
Reports now link Saliba with a move to Real Madrid where he may meet Mbappe and his father once again. The defender has gone on to make 131 appearances for the Gunners and will be one to watch in the summer transfer window as clubs battle for his signature.