Former Arsenal defender discusses ‘remarkable’ Holding

Daniel Storey

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown has described the form of Rob Holding as “remarkable”.

Holding looked to be out of the first-team picture at Arsenal last March, but was recalled to the side after Arsene Wenger moved to a three-man central defence.

That led to Arsenal’s sharp upturn in form, culminating in the FA Cup final victory over Chelsea.

“He’s been quite remarkable,” Martin Keown told Arsenal’s official website.

“He’s very understated, very good in possession. He’s calm, never panics and you never really see him beaten for pace.

“He’s unruffled and in the cup final, to come into a game of that magnitude… I don’t think he’d ever even visited Wembley before the semi-final. He’s going along nicely.

“He needs to come back well. He’s been away with the under-21s, where he was on the bench as well, which will feel strange for him.

“He needs to keep himself right, have a break of a couple of weeks but no longer, because he’s fighting for his place. That’s the way he’s got to look at it.

“Possession is nine tenths of the law and that’s the way he needs to look at it, like ‘I’m in the team and I’m going to stay in the team’. He’ll want that assurance. The manager needs to show belief in him.

“It’s going to be a tricky one for Arsène Wenger and it will be maybe what he sees in training. [Holding] will come back slightly later than everyone else. Maybe I would come back and cut short my holiday.”

We have picked Holding as Arsenal’s young hopeful. And we think we’re right.