When it comes to representing yourself, Héctor Bellerín is out their on his own. Tapped into the fashion world like no one else on the British football scene right now, he’s a footballer that breaks stereotypes and pushes boundaries. Whether he's marauding down the wing or sat front row at London Fashion Week elevating his reputation in lifestyle circles, Bellerín curates his own image.
For the first episode in our new ‘Playgrounds’ series we met Bellerín looking understated in his "work" clothes at Arsenal’s London Colney Training Centre so he could show us around his football home of almost eight years. Giving us the guided tour as only he could, he talked candidly about his arrival in this country and the decision to sign for Arsenal, before moving on to topics such as other people’s opinions of his fashion sense and why the no.2 jersey holds such special significance for him.
Bellerín has called London Colney his home since he arrived at Arsenal in 2011 with a pocket full of English and a CV that boasted the heralded Barcelona Academy on it. Now dipping in and out of a Spanish-Cockney (Spockney?) accent the full back has built his life and matured in the capital, studied under the guru-ship of Arsene Wenger and lifted silverware throughout. This training ground is his work place, his social place, it's the turf on which he prepares for cup finals and returns victorious to train for the next one.
It was a very surreal weekend. Everything was amazing. I remember I was on the plane back and I said to my agent ‘we can sign, man. I don’t need to talk to anyone else, I already know."
I always get people recording me or the coaches saying ‘oh Hector, what have you come dressed as today?’ It’s cool, I like the banter. I feel like if they’re making the jokes, I must be doing the right thing."
Watch the full interview with Héctor Bellerín on IGTV.
