Monreal desperate to keep getting better for Arsenal

He may be 30 and an established starter in Arsene Wenger’s Premier League assault this season, but Arsenal left back Nacho Monreal insists he is never too old to stop learning.

Monreal began his career at Osasuna, spending five years at his hometown club before moving to Malaga in 2011, for whom he played in the Champions League.

He also first represented Spain in 2009 and played at the 2013 Confederations Cup, where his country reached the final, and moved to the Emirates Stadium in 2012.

Last season he started 36 Premier League games for Arsenal and this campaign has been one of the first names on the team sheet, holding off stiff competition for the left-back spot from England international Kieran Gibbs.

He has developed a feared full-back pairing with Hector Bellerin and has helped centre backs Shkodran Mustafi and Laurent Koscielny keep three successive clean sheets in all competitions, but Monreal is adamant he is not resting on his laurels and is constantly seeking personal improvement.

“There are games you just watch for entertainment, you forget everything else and you just try to be a football fan,” he said.

“But there are many games with different coaches, tactics and styles of play.

“So you keep an eye on the movement of the players, on the tactics, and how the team regroups – you try to take it in and learn.

“Obviously being a full back I try to watch the other full backs, for how they defend, how they attack, their movement, so I can take ideas from them, and think about how I can improve and what I can correct in my game.”