FORMER Arsenal midfielder Miguel Azeez has admitted he felt “misjudged” throughout his time with the Gunners.
Azeez first joined the London side at the age of five and spent the next 11 years climbing the Hale End academy ranks.
He signed his first professional contract in 2019 and made his senior debut the following year in a Europa League match against Dundalk.
That proved to be his only first team appearance for Arsenal as he was later sent out on several loan spells to Portsmouth, Ibiza and Wigan respectively before joining Spanish side Atletico Baleares last January.
Seven months later, Azeez moved on again, this time to PAS Giannina in Greece.
The midfielder has since made 13 appearances, scoring once.
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Alongside football, Azeez enjoys expressing himself through art, music and fashion.
But in a recent interview with The Athletic he revealed that he felt “misjudged” compared to his team-mates.
The 22-year-old said: “I definitely felt, not adversity, but being misjudged.
“Ask anyone at Arsenal — I was always first into training and last to leave.
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“If I looked like a quintessential footballer they would not have thought anything of it but because of how I looked, the hairstyles, the face, jewellery, whatever it was, they would say, ‘He is trying to be aloof by coming in early to be by himself’. I was just trying to improve.
“That word ‘aloof’ was used against me at Arsenal. My team-mates were in the changing room on their phones on Snapchat when I was in the gym working, but they would just see me by myself and put two and two together.
“The players seemed to take to it, which was nice. It was from the coaching side of things.
“I don’t know if it was an upbringing thing or a hierarchy thing. I took it as people thinking, ‘Who does he think he is? Does he think he is better than me?’.
“Nah, I’m just being myself. I’m not causing any harm by wearing a pair of heels.
“There was always this thing representing the badge. I get that, but I think they wanted a different image to what I was giving.
“I guess there’s a lot of people who would change their personalities just to get to where they felt they needed to be. I’ve always said I’m a person who plays football.
Nah, I’m just being myself. I’m not causing any harm by wearing a pair of heels.
Miguel Azeez
“When people start to think they are a footballer before they’re a person, that’s when they start to change who they are.”
Recalling his Arsenal departure, he added: “I felt like I had to go. You would train with the 21s, be in with the first team and be on the bench but not get on. I had to try to create my own path.
“I don’t think anybody would like a player not extending their contract, but it wasn’t the nicest send-off.
“Normally, a player who was leaving would get their shirt signed by all the players and staff. I didn’t get that or a meeting saying goodbye.
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“Not that I cared as I don’t need that to feel validated but me being the longest-serving player, it would have been nice to get something.”
SunSport has approached Arsenal for comment.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
