Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink won't have a bad word said against Arsenal midfielder Andrey Arshavin.

Arshavin has excelled under Hiddink's management with Russia and the Dutchman said: "In my three years with the Russia team, I have changed my attitude to Andrey Arshavin.

"At first I thought that he was not fully committed to the game for 90 minutes. Now he is everywhere. It is impossible to lose sight of him - both on the field and off it.

"He is sociable with all his colleagues. I have always regarded him as a good player but Andrey became a more all-round footballer and it appears not only in the game.

"He is a smart player and a smart man. Moreover, he is a winner in his character. All this has helped him to get accustomed to England in a relatively short time.

"Due to his intelligence, he understood what he needed to break through to the highest football level.

"When he gets fully adapted to the British way of life, such success can come, because he is not only spectacular but also an effective player."

Hiddink also declared: "I was not surprised Andrey played his best match in England with a serious injury. That conveys a great deal about him.

"I watched the Cup match against Hull City and he wanted to play so much, even with his injured foot. He was offered a rest to heal the wound but he insisted on playing.

"It was the same when he came to the national team in Russia. He still had stitches in the foot but he trained as well as others.

"If Andrey thought himself a big star he would most likely have asked for a couple of days off but he would not hear about taking a vacation."