Mikel Arteta says he would have happily played for England but confirmed he was not one of the candidates the FA approached to replace Gareth Southgate.
The Arsenal boss was at Everton in 2010 when he was approached by then-England boss Fabio Capello, who thought Arteta might be eligible to play for the country where he had been resident for five years.
The FA later stated their understanding of FIFA’s complex eligibility rules would have rendered the Spaniard ineligible, despite having never featured for his country’s senior side.
He said: “I was thinking about that the other day. I was actually talking to (Arsenal sporting director) Edu about that at lunch. Yeah, I would have done it.
“I feel very proud about it. I was very realistic, looking at the players Spain had at the time, and how big a challenge I had.
“You need to know your level, that is very important. Look in the mirror. At the end it didn’t happen. But it was good, at least to think about it.
“It was OK. If you cannot do it, you cannot do it. I wasn’t prepared to fight against the world.”
Arteta has now lived in the UK for 22 years and appreciates why some might feel disappointed in the FA’s decision to appoint German Thomas Tuchel, the third foreign manager to lead the national side.
The ex-Chelsea boss told the BBC the FA first contacted him in late August, when Arteta was still negotiating a new deal that would keep him at the Emirates Stadium until 2027.
A hunger for success.
Mikel Arteta has put pen-to-paper on a new deal at the club 👇
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 12, 2024
While FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said “approximately 10” candidates had been interviewed, Arteta confirmed he was not one of them, nor is he at a point where the prospect of an international management position entices him.
He said: “No, I didn’t speak to them. I’m not one of those 10.
“I’m happy enough right now with all the responsibilities and the amount of things we want to achieve and do here. So, at the moment, I’m not thinking about it.”
Asked if he would one day consider managing an international team that was not Spain, Arteta, who joked “I look English! I’ve been here so long” replied: “I’ll tell you right now, the feeling I have, for me this is like home.
“I’ve been here for 22 years. I have that feeling towards it because I always feel respected, welcomed and inspired by this country and the history of football and how you get treated daily. I think that’s something you should be really proud of as a country.”
Arteta would not confirm which specific players were smiling at the news of Tuchel’s appointment, particularly when pressed about Chelsea loanee Raheem Sterling, who he backed to regain his place when the German names his England squad.
He said: “If that is what he decides he wants. He is in a really good moment right now, in the last training sessions he was exceptional. Raheem at his best can compete with any player for sure.”
Arsenal head to Bournemouth still suffering from a spate of injuries, though the Gunners boss was optimistic that Bukayo Saka might be fit after an injury sustained during the international break was deemed “not serious.”
Kai Havertz is similarly due to face a late fitness test, while Thomas Partey has recovered from an illness.
The trip comes too soon for Martin Odegaard (ankle), who is expected to return before the next international break.
