Ceballos: I rewatch the video of Luis Enrique praising me during difficult moments Real Madrid Sat down with MARCA

Dani Ceballos is warming up in the sun on the artificial pitch at the Estadio Municipal San Juan Bosco in his hometown of Utrera before travelling for Arsenal's warm-weather training camp in Dubai when he hears chants of "viva Betis!" in the background.

The midfielder, who is on a season-long loan at the Emirates Stadium from Real Madrid, sat down with MARCA to discuss how his time in London is going so far, what he expects to happen in the summer and his early memories of playing football in Utrera.

What memories do you have of this pitch?

Being here is an immense pride for me, since I started to grow as a footballer [here] and also for the two years I was a youth player, where we did great things for the club. I made friends that I still have from this pitch.

What was your life like when you came here?

It's always exciting returning to Utrera because it's where I feel most at peace and most comfortable. Everyone knows me here; I walk down the street as if I was just another person, they don't see me as a footballer, but just another neighbour. I'm very happy with how the people treat me in my hometown.

What do people say to you on the street? Return to Real Betis or Real Madrid?

I have a lot of love for Betis and Real Madrid fans and they tell me to come back, but there are lots more Betis fans here. The social mass that Betis have here is bigger than any other club, so they stop me much more to tell me to come back to the [Estadio Benito] Villamarin.

For those that don't know the Premier League, what moment of the season are you in?

We have a mini break in the Premier League. There are 13 games left; we're still alive. The Premier League is a competition in which you climb the table if you win three games in a row. We're 10 points off the Champions League places and it's a good moment to steer the whole team in the same direction and achieve the objectives for the season. On a personal level, I'm coming back from a very serious injury; it's the first time I've had it since I've been a professional. It affected my tendon and the doctors told me that it wasn't common and that I had to be quite careful. I've been coming back bit by bit because I was scared of a relapse. I've been medically fine for two or three months; now I have to build some rhythm, compete and get back to my best.

How did the injury come about?

It was in Guimaraes, in Portugal, I think because of an excess of matches. I'd played 17 games in two months; I was the only player that had played all these games. At the time, I spoke to Unai [Emery] and I told him that I wanted to play every game in every competition while my body allowed [me to]. Sometimes you have to learn from mistakes. I struggled with the injury, but you learn from everything.

Why did you come back to Valdebebas to recover?

The medical teams from Arsenal and Real Madrid agreed that the best thing for me, for the language and knowing the doctors and physios well, was to recover in Madrid. I'm very happy now because I think it was the best decision. I was in Madrid for a month and a half until I returned to London to do medical tests and see if it was all correct. And from then on, I've been trying to build up my level and return to the [group] dynamic.

Were you able to see your teammates or Zinedine Zidane?

I was speaking with the president [Florentino Perez] and the coach. I have to be very grateful because they told me that I was a Real Madrid player and if I had to return to recover, it wasn't a problem. I knew that I couldn't coincide with the schedule of the first team, but there wasn't a problem if I ever bumped into any of them. I had the chance to speak to some of my teammates; everyone, physios and club workers alike, told me that they missed me because I'm a very sociable and friendly person for how I am and I'm proud that they say this. I had the chance to say hello to the boss who told me that he was following Arsenal's games and that was a proud moment for me.

What are you learning at Arsenal?

Everything. Any player in the world would like to play in the Premier League once before they retire. I'm experiencing it as a young player. I'm a football lover and for someone who likes football, you have to play in the Premier League. It's a league that is a bit more demanding on a physical level than in Spain and it's making big strides tactically and technically. Any team can beat anyone in the top six. It's very competitive.

You don't get bored in London in the evenings? How's your English coming along?

It's nothing. Whether I'm in Madrid or Utrera or London, I've always been very comfortable around the house, being at home with my parents and with my family, my sisters, my girlfriend... I've also taken the opportunity to learn English and I don't have time to do much more. Now and again I go out for a change. I've taken my PlayStation and I've barely turned it on. I've got it in my head to learn English and it's an opportunity; I have a year's loan and I can learn a language that is a key to opening doors. I have a teacher the club helped me get and I'm having four two-hour classes a week and right now I understand 80 percent of English and I speak a bit. My objective, God allowing, is to be at the Euros and do interviews in English and to cope quite well.

The other day in an interview with MARCA, Unai Emery said that you're "a top player and very good mentally. He'll go as far as he wants." How was your experience with Unai?

Unai was key to me being at Arsenal. I went to play at a club like Arsenal because, apart from the fact that it's a massive club, Unai practically came to my house to tell me that he loved me as a player, that he's been in love with me since I played for Betis... The confidence of a coach is key to giving your best performance. Unai told me that I would be important with him at Arsenal and I didn't have any doubts about going there.

Has the change of coach from Emery to Mikel Arteta affected you?

I'm f***ed on my part because I'd never been injured and annoyingly, I got injured at a time when the team started to unravel a bit. I [came out of the team] when we were fifth or sixth, three or four points off the objective which is qualifying for the Champions League. I was watching the Arsenal games and I saw that we were struggling, that we weren't winning and that we'd entered a dynamic where we were finding it tough to get points. I'm powerless and angry that I wasn't able to have helped the boss and repaid everything he'd done for me.

Two weeks ago, Arteta said that first you had to get fit and then play. What has your new coach said to you?

Mikel is going to be a great coach. He's learned from Pep [Guardiola], he has a style of play which I fit perfectly into, into what he asks of the team. It's true that he's come into a difficult situation for the club but mentally he's a coach that I think has what Arsenal need right now. Since I arrived [back in London after recovering from my injury], I've been working with him for just two weeks and now is when I have to show him that I'm able to play for Arsenal. After the break, I will be important.

What can you tell us about the Arsenal dressing room?

I spend a lot of time with Hector [Bellerin]. Apart from being my teammate, I consider him a friend, even before coming to Arsenal. He makes life a lot easier for me, I can tell him about any problem. In terms of the football, Mesut [Ozil], we already know the quality he has, or [Alexandre] Lacazette, who is the best I've ever seen at link-up play, of interpreting the game. They're good players and with a lot of hunger.

You were one of the standout names in the January transfer window. It was reported that you were trying to cancel your loan at Arsenal with Valencia injured. What happened?

I've never had a quiet window, neither in the summer nor winter. At Betis, both Barcelona and Real Madrid wanted me in my first year. Then I signed for Madrid and in January I was linked with Betis, then after the European Championship I moved to Arsenal, now I'm linked with other teams. I decided to stay at Arsenal because I like stability and the club showed faith in me.

So, was there a way out?

No. It seems silly, but Arsenal fans have a song dedicated to me and only three or four players have that and they've been here for years. I feel very appreciated and every time I play, the fans support me.

Being loved is one thing, but with the European Championship coming this summer, you need to play.

Yeah, there's a European Championship at stake and when you don't play for five or six games you get nervous. But you have to remember that I had an injury for two and a half months and I'm not 100 percent. Everything is weighed up and I know that Arsenal put faith in me, so to turn things around here would mean more. Arsenal backed me and I can't let them down.

Jurgen Klopp also loved you. Why didn't you go to Liverpool?

I was proud to have a club like Liverpool after me, but I chose Arsenal because of Unai Emery and how he was with me. Right now, I wouldn't fit in at Liverpool very well.

How do you define your style?

I'm a player with great vision and I think I've improved defensively. Now, all coaches want complete players whereas before quality alone was enough. Now, No.10s have virtually disappeared, so you have to be more complete.

Do you feel as though players like you and Isco are at risk?

It depends on the philosophy of a coach. You have to be complete and be physical, but having quality is the difficult thing.

You recently tweeted praising Toni Kroos. Do you admire him?

In the two years I spent with him at Madrid I listened to him. He's a cold player who doesn't get nervous in big moments. He understands football like nobody else with the ball and when defending and pressing.

What do you think of Madrid's resurgence from the outside after living through a difficult season last year?

It's been a drastic change. They're a very compact team now and probably better defensively than in attack, but that's thanks to everyone and not only the defenders. They know they'll always score and keeping a clean sheet is important.

Do you feel you could play there?

Madrid are the team I belong to. I decided to leave to feel like an important player. I don't think I'd have played as much as I'd have liked this season, so I left to play.

Do you think about returning?

Not right now, I'm only thinking about Arsenal.

Where will you be next season?

Football changes overnight. Hopefully I'll achieve my goals with Arsenal and then play with the national team and fulfil a dream.

How is the summer looking? Euro 2020 then the Olympic Games?

Yeah, my goal is to play in both. Because of injury I've been out for two months, so I have more to give. I want to play in both.

Luis Enrique has called upon you since his arrival...

He's trusted me from day one. I remember that the first game of the Nations Cup was at Wembley against England and then in Elche I was suddenly starting against Croatia. After the game, I have the footage recorded of what he said about me in the press conference, that I was a unique player, who was doing the same things that I did when I played in the U21s, that he had seen me countless times at Real Betis. And I put on those videos when I am not going through my best period. When you have a goal like going to the European Championship, those words of the national team coach really motivate me. We hope to finish the Premier League well I can have a chance of being in the squad for the European Championships, in which we have high expectations.

Your best form lately has been seen with Spain.

I think so, yeah. I feel important when I play for the national team and they play a style that suits me. It's very motivating to play for your country.

You've always had a special connection with Quique Setien. Have you congratulated him for taking over at Barcelona?

I haven't had the chance to speak with him because it all happened so fast. He's a coach who has dreamt of coaching Barcelona and he has their DNA. I think he'll do a great job.

Do you have friends in football?

I'd like to say yes, but at the end of the day you have to compete for a place in the team. I have friends but within a team you can't really have a friendly relationship with everyone because it's incompatible with the job.

Have you thought about what to do when you retire?

I want to stay in football, maybe as a coach or sporting director.