Nigeria international Alex Iwobi heaped praise on former teammate and Spanish playmaker Santi Cazorla calling him the best player he has seen.
Iwobi and Cazorla were teammates at Arsenal between 2015 and 2019 after the Nigerian attacker was promoted from the club’s academy.
Cazorla was integral in ending Arsenal’s nine-year trophy drought, scoring a crucial free-kick as Arsene Wenger’s side won the FA Cup in 2014.
The midfielder left the Gunners for Spanish side Villarreal in 2018 having struggled with multiple injuries that shortened his time in North London. Iwobi also moved on as he joined another Premier League side – Everton – in the following year.
“I just want to say, Santi Cazorla is the best player I’ve ever seen and played with. Left foot, right foot, he’s a joke,” Iwobi said.
Santi Cazorla is said to be one of the most gifted players to ever play in the Premier League (Photo by Simon Holmes/Getty Images)
“If you see his physique, and you see him on the streets in north London, you think ‘this guy just doesn’t look like a footballer’, but he’s a magician with the ball. It’s crazy.”
Iwobi also showered praise on German attacking midfielder Mesut Ozil who he played with during his time at the Emirates.
The former Germany international left Arsenal during the January 2021 transfer window after failing to make appearances under current manager Mikel Arteta.
“Mesut Ozil. His stats speak for themselves, the type of player he is. Unfortunately, the way he left Arsenal wasn’t nice in my opinion, but he’s a great player. A great player,” Iwobi said.
Iwobi made 149 appearances and scored 15 goals during his time with Arsenal and also experienced FA Cup success when they won it in 2017. The Super Eagles attacker will also be focused on helping his country in the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
