Holding the surprise package for Wenger in California
Familiar foe Didier Drogba netted against Arsenal for the MLS All Stars, but Arsene Wenger’s new defender Rob Holding insists his debut could not have gone any better.
Holding, 20, signed from Bolton after he featured for England U21s alongside fellow Gunner Calum Chambers at the Toulon Tournament this summer.
And the youngster made the most of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny’s absence in the unlikeliest of first-team opportunities.
Drogba pegged the Gunners back on the stroke of half-time after Joel Campbell’s penalty had earned them an early lead, but Wenger’s men – featuring £35 million summer acquisition Granit Xhaka on debut – bounced back to win after an 87th minute close-range finish from Chuba Akpom.
Holding looks on during the MLS All-Star match in San Jose (Getty Images)
And Holding, who was unlucky not to score with a header from a corner in the second half, was delighted with his first Arsenal contribution.
“It was great, a massive turn out from the fans – it’s one of the biggest crowds I have played in front of, so it’s a massive experience for me,” said Holding.
“It’s quality. It was a really good game as well, really enjoyable.
“I think I did all right. It would have topped it off had my header gone in from that corner. That would have been a bit of a glory moment, but I’ll keep working on it and it will come hopefully.
“It’s good to play against the likes of Drogba, Kaka and Pirlo. They are top quality players who have had massive careers and you can learn from playing against them. So it’s been a great experience.”
