Arsenal favourite reveals touching Arsene Wenger gesture during injury hell

Santi Cazorla has opened up about what Arsene Wenger did to ease his fears during a long injury lay-off atArsenal. The former Spain international joined the Gunners from Malaga in the summer of 2012.

Cazorla would make 180 appearances and score 29 goals in all competitions during his time in north London, but his time at the Emirates Stadium was often hampered by injury.

The former midfielder had surgery on an Achilles injury several times, and in November 2017, doctors told him he should be 'satisfied' to walk again after contracting gangrene in his right ankle. He was forced to have skin removed from his arm and grafted on to his leg after the infection left him with «eight centimetres missing» from his Achilles tendon.

His biggest lay off during his time with Arsenal was from October 2016 to June 2018. He went on to miss over 100 games for his side.

Cazorla has twoFA Cup winners' medals from his time with the Gunners and scored in their 3-2 cup final win over Hull at Wembley in 2014. And now, reflecting on his time at the club, the now-39-year-old has revealed how Wenger offered him a new contract just before he headed to Sweden for a major operation.

Speaking to DAZN’s Fever Pitch, via Sport Witness, he said: “Before I met him [Arsene Wenger], he impressed me a lot.

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“In the end, he was a coach who had been at Arsenal for almost 20 years. I think both Arsene Wenger and Alex Ferguson are going to be the only coaches who will be at a club for so long.

“But when you have a figure that represents so much for a club, for the fans, for everybody