ARSENAL star Gabriel Martinelli has been described as a “diamond” that trains each day “like it’s his last on earth”.
The Brazilian got his season up and running last Friday by netting 20 minutes into the Gunners’ 2-0 win at Crystal Palace.
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North London insiders are incredibly excited about Martinelli’s future, believing that the 21-year-old has the world at his feet.
In a scene within Prime Video’s All or Nothing Arsenal series, first team coach Steve Round gushes about the forward’s prospects.
The 51-year-old tells sporting director Edu: “I love him, honestly, I love him.
“He just needs time, that’s all.”
As the pair watch Martinelli comes in from training, Round adds: “He’s a great kid.
“He trains every day like it is his last day on earth. He is a diamond, he really is.”
Martinelli joined Arsenal from second-tier Brazilian side Ituano in 2019.
He has since racked up 19 goals and 13 assists in 85 appearances for the Gunners.
Opening up on his background for the Prime Video cameras, the £100,000 a week star admitted he couldn’t give a toss about the financial side of the game.
He said: “I grew up in a poor neighbourhood with my parents.
“When I was young, I didn’t have money and they always say ‘don’t spend a lot of money’.
“They are always ‘on my foot’… ‘be careful, be careful’ [they say].
“But I don’t care about the money. I just want to play football and my parents can take care of the money.
“It was quite tough, because in Brazil, I didn’t learn English. And my family was so important for me. They always give me some good advice.
“If you want to be a top player, if you don’t give everything today, you cannot improve. If you train [at 90 per cent] you cannot reach up, but if you train at 100 per cent, you can go to another level.”
Martinelli and Co are back in action this Saturday as they host Leicester City at Emirates Stadium looking to make it two wins from two.
