ARJEN ROBBEN

Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben, who was on the fringes of the first team just a few months before the end of last season, has managed to establish himself once again as one of the important players at the club. However, he will be starting from a fresh point after the arrival of Guardiola as the new manager of the German club. Guardiola is a staunch supporter of selfless play, which has prompted suggestions that Robben may not have a future at the Allianz Arena under Guardiola. The former Chelsea and Real Madrid winger, though, says that the arrival of Guardiola will actually help him improve even further.

Guardiola recently described Robben as a gifted player, which has delighted the 31-year-old. He has been a forefront for the Bayern Munich attack alongside Frank Ribery and Mario Gomez for the last few years. He finally achieved the ambition of lifting the Champions League title by beating Borussia Dortmund in the final last year. Robben scored the all-important winner in the match, which has proved to be a turning point in his career as well. Only a few months before, Robben was a substitute in most of the matches due to the form of Thomas Müller.

“I want to keep improving as a player and I think Pep Guardiola is the right man for that. His words of praise are a terrific compliment and it does make me a little proud. I’m looking forward to the time with him. I’ve had a number of outstanding coaches in my career and now there’s another one. I’m a little older these days, but I’m always open for something new. He’s a great coach and I’ve heard he really throws himself into training and talks a lot with the players. I’m really excited,” said Robben.