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HEART ON HIS SLEEVE
Mikel Arteta reveals how medics battled to save his life as kid after open heart surgery during Arsenal team talk
MIKEL ARTETA recounted undergoing open heart surgery as a child as he delivered a speech to his Arsenal side last season.
The Gunners endured a torrid start to the campaign, losing their first three matches to Brentford, Chelsea and Manchester City.
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As his side sat bottom of the Premier League going into a home clash with fellow strugglers Norwich City, Arteta tried to inspire his group of players with a personal story.
As seen in a new promo for Amazon Prime's latest series, he said: "In many industries there are high performance teams.
"And these high performance teams are called like this because they all have something in common - because they get results.
"When I was born, I was born with a big heart disease. And for two years they had to try to save my life until I had the opportunity to have the first open surgery in Spain.
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"So a high performance team, not a football team or basketball team for example, it can be an emergency team, the ones that work for example in hospitals.
"These teams have to be surrounded by people, they are very special. They are willing to work 24/7. They do it only for one reason - because they love what they do.
"That's their drive, that's their purpose."
Arteta, 40, had been born with a rare heart condition that limited his supply of clean blood to the rest of his body.
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Pointing to a diagram on a whiteboard, he went on: "I'm going to share something with you. This is my emotional status.
"In the last 14 days, one to ten. Post Man City I was here, dead.
"I had fear. I had insecurity. I had the media that is killing me.
"Suddenly, I had all the positives. I have an incredible family. A wife, three kids. Another one, the club - always supporting me from the top.
"The moment that I go from here to there (one to ten), like this, is you guys.
"This week I have found the purpose. Why I want to be a coach. Why I'm in the industry, why I have to be with these people.
"So for these guys what I have to say, only from my side is thank you so much.
My responsibility, I take the s***
Mikel Arteta
"Because you made, in a difficult moment, the best week of my football career. Believe in yourselves, I do. You are really good.
"The last thing I want to do as a coach is blame any of you in difficult moments.
"My responsibility, I take the s***. Let's go."
Arsenal subsequently went on to beat Norwich 1-0 via a goal from former skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
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Their season went on to recover to the point where an improbable position in the top four appeared within their grasp, until a late drop off in form saw it slip away to rivals Tottenham.
A run of six defeats in 11 games saw them fall behind Spurs going into the final day, subsequently having to be content with fifth place after Antonio Conte's side battered Norwich 5-0 at Carrow Road.
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