Mikel Arteta has provided an update on his health after contracting coronavirus earlier this month.
It was revealed that the Arsenal manager had tested positive for COVID-19 on March 13, a development which seemed to force the football authorities into action.
The Premier League and Football League seasons were almost immediately put on hold after news broke of Arteta’s diagnosis.
Arsenal had already had a game against Manchester City postponed before the campaign was brought to a halt.
But the Spaniard, who says he has now returned to full health, has opened up on his situation.
"I am feeling completely recovered [now]," he told Arsenal’s official website. "It’s true I started having some symptoms when we got the phone call from the club to let us know that we might be exposed to the virus because of the owner of Olympiacos and in that moment… I don’t know, I felt something within me, that I had it.
"We had a game the following day against Manchester City, so I made a decision and called the doctor straight away and I asked him to drive home.
"I spoke with Raul [Sanllehi, head of football], [technical director] Edu, Vinai [Venkatesham, managing director], Huss [Fahmy, chief contract negotiator] and we set up a meeting together and I said: ‘Listen, we have a couple of players that have been exposed.
“There is a massive risk there and as well I am the first one feeling the symptoms, very clear symptoms. So if that is the case, all of the players and the people related to the club who are in contact with me on a daily basis are exposed. So we cannot make that decision, we have to speak to the Premier League, to Manchester City and we have to make the decision pretty quickly.'
"Then you realise: 'Wow, everybody can be exposed here, this is very serious' and you start to think about the people that you've been in contact with and the other people that can be related to us. That's when a bit of fear comes.
"In terms of symptoms, it was a normal virus for me. I had three or four days which were a little bit difficult, with a bit of a temperature and a dry cough, and some discomfort in my chest. That was it.
"The difficulty is that I have people at home, three kids as well and I was worried. My missus has been through it and my nanny's been through it. Thank God, the kids never got it. We are all completely fine now."
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