Ronald de Boer was Arteta's mentor at Ibrox and he reckons the win-at-all-costs mentality he picked up there is serving him well
06:00, 29 May 2026
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Mikel Arteta in action against Rangers for PSG
The big names rolled off the tongue as Rangers lined up to face a stellar Paris Saint-Germain side a quarter of a century ago.
Stefan Klos, Lorenzo Amoruso, Arthur Numan, Barry Ferguson, Tore Andre Flo, Ronald de Boer … and that was just the Light Blues line-up.
Standing across from that star-studded Gers team in the Ibrox tunnel was a list of figures, if anything, even more impressive.
Ronaldinho, Nicolas Anelka, Mauricio Pochettino, Gabriel Heinze and Jay-Jay Okocha, each of them to a man among the best in the world in their respective positions.
And yet for de Boer, it was an unknown Spanish kid on loan from Barcelona who really stood out in the PSG ranks.
And he wasn’t the only one impressed at Ibrox.
Within months of that Uefa Cup clash - a tie Rangers edged out on penalties after goalless draws in Govan and at the Parc des Princes - Mikel Arteta had swapped sides having signed for Alex McLeish’s Gers side in a £6million deal.
And it was in Glasgow that de Boer really found out what this exciting teenager was all about having taken Arteta under his wing.
Now 25 years on, the Dutchman’s former student is facing his biggest test yet as he seeks to master Europe.
He’s already bossed Arsenal to Premier League glory. But the next challenge will be even tougher as he seeks to overcome his old Parisian pals, the defending Champions League winners, in Saturday’s Budapest final.
As far as de Boer is concerned, his friend has already made his managerial name in London. But this is his chance to ink it into the history books.
Looking back on their first meeting, the Ajax, Barcelona, Gers and Holland legend told Record Sport: “Mikel was 18 years old, I guess, at that time.
“But what I remember was just how mature he played. What I liked about him is his vision, his understanding of when to pass the ball, when to dribble the ball.
“He's not like a Ronaldinho or a Messi, but he had that acceleration at the right moment, and knew when to take the right touch away from the opponent, his vision left to right to pass the ball with the right speed.
“For me, at that moment, he was a very exciting midfielder with a lot of potential.
“I hadn’t actually come across him at Barcelona. I guess he was too young, still in La Masia.
“In my time, Carlos Puyol and Xavi were coming through but I think Mikel was just a little bit younger.
“But I think everybody saw in those two games we played against PSG that he stood out for the age he was.
“You didn’t need to be a great scout to see his quality.
“Rangers saw this. I always say Mikel was a raw diamond. You just had to polish him and he would become very valuable.
“In the beginning when he came here, I helped him a lot because I spoke Spanish and of course I played for Barcelona, so we had some connection together.
“We spoke the same language but I think, football-wise, we could also communicate on the same level.
“I think that gave us a good bond and I really liked him as a person and especially as a football player.
“I love this kind of player with such a vision. He was exactly my cup of tea!
“Of course he played with his heart but especially with his head.
“I think he was a similar type as me and I really enjoyed watching him develop. I know at that age, I wasn't as good as he was.
“It was an incredible era for Scottish football. Celtic had Henrik Larsson, Chris Sutton, Alan Thompson, Bobo Balde.
“On our side, we had so many great players also.
“It was a joy to be part of that generation and be part of those battles against Celtic.
“For Mikel, I think it was also a great learning experience, physically, mentally, because sometimes it was not that easy in the beginning, especially with Barry Ferguson having the role that he maybe would liked to have had at that time.
“In the end, I think he made a great move to Everton and to Arsenal. I think if he looks back to his career, I don't think he would change one bit of it.”
Arteta served his coaching apprenticeship under Manchester City under Pep Guardiola.
But de Boer reckons there are clear traits picked up from his time at Rangers visible in the way he manages Arsenal.
Be it an intricate passing move or a messy header from a corner, the Spaniard is happy for his side to win any way they can.
And it’s that victory-at-all-costs mantra de Boer can pinpoint back to his time in Glasgow.
He said: “From every experience, you learn something. You take the good and the bad. Your success is never in one straight line all the way up.
“You take the bad times with you, because you think, ‘Next time I'm going to do it differently’.
“So those lessons about never giving up, showing passion, finding a way to win, no matter if it is a pretty move from the back or from a long throw, I think he definitely learned at Rangers.
“At the club you realise what it means for the fans and when the people give everything, you have to do the same as the fans.
“But it also has to be inside of you. I know when it comes to me and my brother Frank, if we play a card game even with my kids, we have to win.
“That's something you've been brought up with. I think Mikel is the same. He wants to win every game and be really prepared.
“He had a great teacher with Guardiola. They're all a bit similar types. Pep was also a great visionary when he played football.
“I played with him at Barcelona. He was not the quickest but he was definitely one of the smartest. He understood the game.
“I think he also understood the game, what it needed in certain moments.
“But I'm so happy for Mikel because sometimes you need a bit of luck. For example, he had the luck that the board members were patient with him.
“In his first season, they finished eighth, that was not on the Arsenal standard but they stayed calm.
“Then I think fifth and then maybe three second places. Some boards at other clubs might have kicked him out because it wasn’t moving fast for them enough.
“So the fact they stood by him, you have to give an unbelievably huge compliment to the management of Arsenal. You see the potential he has. He won the league and now maybe he can even win the Champions League.
“I think that says something and it's also good for the next generation of managers because the pressure is so high. Sometimes you take a decision because you have an idea that he can do something but they change quickly in their mind because it doesn't go too fast.
“But change takes time.
“So please be a little bit patient and I think he's a great example of it.”
Arsenal will hope their long game with Arteta will come to its thrilling conclusion in Hungary this weekend.
But to do that, the North Londoners will have to find a way to stop a side boasting talents that, if anything, are even more threatening than the big-name outfit Arteta once starred in.
Luis Enrique’s holders are the firm favourites to lift the trophy for a second year.
De Boer said: “If you ask 100 people, I think 80 will say Paris will win.
“But these are teams that have different styles.
“In the beginning, I think Arsenal was also playing quite entertaining football but then they went more on the result because of injuries and stuff. I think they're a bit in better shape now, so I think they can really compete in this tie.
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“It's a one-off game and defending is also a part of football. I think nobody does it better than Arsenal in my view. I spoke with Jurrien Timber and he said,’Nobody can defend like us’.
“It says something about the belief that they can stop everybody. It's going to be interesting. It's not going to be open like Bayern Munich against Paris, but nevertheless, I think it's very exciting to watch this final.”