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Carlos Vela has admitted that he ‘wasn’t ready’ to make the move to Arsenal when he arrived as a 16-year-old.
The ex-Gunner made the move from Deportivo Guadalajara in 2006 in a £2.7m deal and spent six years under Arsene Wenger’s stewardship.
Vela struggled to transcend from one of Wenger’s ‘Young Guns’ with potential to a consistent first-team starter.
After five loan spells away from the Emirates, he eventually left to join Real Sociedad in a £12.6m deal in 2012.
Since his departure, he’s finally gone someway to realising his potential, managing 73 goals and 44 assists in 250 games for Real Sociedad before joining Los Angeles FC, who he’s managed 57 goals and 23 assists for in 71 games.
The striker admits he was far too young and unprepared when he first arrived in north London.
Carlos Vela admits he ‘wasn’t ready’ for Arsenal move
“Before the 2005 World Cup, I was just a young man following his dreams trying to reach the First Division in Mexico and do something good in soccer,” he told the Inside LAFC podcast, relayed by Medio Tempo.
“But after that, I went to London, to sign for Arsenal. I was not ready for that, everything was too fast, and I was very young. It was a very difficult moment for me.
“I would not say that it was a moment of great pressure, but mentally you are not prepared for so much.
“It was a difficult moment because you need time to process everything and start getting down and being normal, the first year it was difficult to be myself, to enjoy life and play, to be normal.
“But when you start you feel that you are the best of all and that you can do everything and nobody can tell you anything, that was the first mistake I made, over the years I was a better person and a better player.”
