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Rob Holding Shines Against MLS All-Stars, but Arsenal Still Need a New Defender
- Updated: July 29, 2016
What a rollercoaster summer it’s been for Rob Holding. Having ended last season being relegated to League One with Bolton Wanderers, he then triumphed in the Toulon Tournament with the England U21 side before signing for Champions League club Arsenal.
Last night, a crazy few months culminated in the 20-year-old making his Gunners debut in a 2-1 win over the MLS All-Stars.
It may only have been a friendly, but it must have still felt like a big moment for Holding. The All-Stars side included the likes of Didier Drogba, Kaka and Andrea Pirlo. Although he played plenty of football for Bolton last season, winning their Player of the Season award in the process, he’s never faced quite such big names before.
The youngster came through the test very well indeed. Although he followed suit with most Arsenal defenders of the past decade, conceding a goal to the irrepressible Drogba, he was largely excellent.
Arsenal appear to have acquired a defender who is composed on the ball and positionally astute. Speaking to the club’s official website after the game, Holding said:
It’s good to play against the likes of Drogba, Kaka and Pirlo. They are top quality players who have had massive careers and you can learn from playing against them. So it’s been a great experience.
[The win] is massive. If you can get a good couple of wins in early you get that momentum, so that when you come to that first game of the season, against Liverpool at home, hopefully we can hit the ground running. Hopefully that will be the case.
Holding has certainly hit the ground running in his Arsenal career. When he initially signed, it was unclear if he was part of Arsene Wenger’s plans for the first-team squad. However, having been handed the No. 16 shirt and being included with the senior side so quickly, it seems Wenger will be prepared to use him next season. He must be making quite the impression.
Speaking to Arsenal Player, Wenger admitted he had been pleased with Holding’s impact: “I thought he did very well. I must say he looked composed, …
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