Arsenal are Premier League champions and for manager Mikel Arteta it marks a significant milestone in a coaching journey that began with the FAW.

Success for Arsenal and Arteta marks another first for the FAW coach education programme, which has seen a number of high profile ex-players and coaches develop and learn the ropes.

Arteta is the first coach from the FAW system to win the Premier League and is now just one game away from adding the UEFA Champions League trophy to an already impressive record of achievement.

“What a journey it has been,” said FAW Chief Football Officer Dr. David Adams.

“Mikel came to Wales to study for his UEFA B and A Licences as he transitioned from player to coach, before later joining our UEFA Pro Licence while working as assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

“Since graduating, he has continued to invest his time in supporting the development of other coaches, regularly attending and speaking on our UEFA Pro Licence.

“We are incredibly proud that Mikel Arteta, now an English Premier League-winning coach, was educated by the FAW.”

With Manchester City’s 1-1 draw with Bournemouth on Tuesday night confirming Arsenal’s first title since 2004, in marks the culmination of a process that began in 2019 for Arteta.

Arteta, 44, took charge of his former club in December 2019 and delivered FA Cup success in his first season.

He completed his coaching education with the FAW under former Technical Director Osian Roberts, helping to coach the Cymru U16 squad that included Ethan Ampadu at the time.

Having gained the required qualifications, he joined Guardiola at Manchester City in 2016. A decade later he would deny his friend and mentor a seventh Premier League title.

Arteta is not the only high-profile footballer to conduct their coaching education with the FAW. Thierry Henry, Yaya Touré, Patrick Vieira, Gaël Clichy, Nuri Sahin and Freddie Ljungberg, together with current Portugal head coach Roberto Martínez, are just a few of the star names that have passed through the doors of Dragon Park in recent years.

Current head coaches Craig Bellamy and Rhian Wilkinson are also FAW alums.

Also celebrating success with Arteta this week is his assistant Albert Stuivenberg, the Dutch coach who assisted previous Cymru head coaches Ryan Giggs and Rob Page, joining the latter at the UEFA EURO finals in 2021 before linking up with Arteta at Arsenal on a full-time basis.

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