NATHAN TELLA was broken when Arsenal released him at 17 after a decade of dreaming about playing for his boyhood club.
But now, after taking a rather alternative route, he will return to North London as a double winning invincible with Bayer Leverkusen.
The Gunners, who decided Tella would not make the grade in 2017, host Xabi Alonso‘s history makers at The Emirates tomorrow.
Having gone on trial at Reading before moving to Southampton where he tore his ACL, going on loan to Burnley and then making the shock move to Germany last summer – Tella’s journey to the top has not been a traditional one.
A year ago he was preparing for another year in the Championship with Southampton before the shock bid came in, and it has been an incredible year – winning the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal without losing a single game.
Leverkusen’s only loss came in the Europa League final against Atalanta and he can now return to Arsenal with his head held high.
Tella said: “Going back to The Emirates as a champion, as an invincible as well, it’s a great feeling, and it’s an amazing feeling.
“The day that happened, when I got released, my whole world just came crashing down.
“That was probably the first time in my life I’d ever been rejected from something in a sense.
“I’d worked so hard to get to the level I am and technically it’s the last step before you think of yourself as a professional footballer for Arsenal.
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“It was really hard for me at the time.”
He added: “Even going on my first trial to Reading I definitely wasn’t ready for it in any way shape or form.
“But thankfully Southampton took me in, they gave me a lot of confidence and off the back of being released and being told no after all the trials and Southampton basically gave me the journey I wanted.
“They gave me the opportunity to say I’m professional footballer, they gave me the opportunity to play in the Premier League, gave me the opportunity to score in the Premier League.
“I even played in the semi-final of the FA Cup at Wembley as well which was something I wouldn’t have imagined off the back of tearing my ACL and being released from Arsenal.”
Things have got a bit better than a semi-final at Wembley in Germany.
It took Tella five or six months to settle in his new home, learning the language and cultural differences away from family.
But success on the pitch under Alonso and alongside close friends like Jeremie Frimpong certainly helped.
Alonso has created a family feel at Leverkusen to propel them to their first ever Bundesliga, with teammates arranging gestures to remember an historic season.
Another former Gunner, Granit Xhaka, bought everyone watches while Frimpong had personalised NBA-style championship rings made.
Tella said: “Granit and the club, they organised it for us, we all got Rolexes on behalf of the club, which was a great feeling, a great gesture for all of us to have the same watch, just to remember something as special as that.”
The two medals from last season are back with his parents, Nicky and Harry, in Stevenage while the ring and Rolex stay firmly in their boxes.
All the family will be at The Emirates tomorrow for Tella’s return – a special moment for a player who still now considers himself a fan.
He added: “I always check the results.
“When we’re playing I’m always quick to see the lineups and how they’re doing.
“I even had a bit of stick from my friends who said: ‘You’re an Arsenal fan and an Invincible, but your team didn’t win the league – they had it in their hands and dropped it, hopefully you guys don’t do the same!’
“I’m still an Arsenal fan.”
