In an exclusive interview with The Athletic, Arsenal defender Mosquera talked about the selection of the national team and the help of the Gunners coaching staff. He said Heinze helped the team's defenders improve a lot.
Mosquera is the captain of the Spanish U21 national team, which includes talented players such as Alex Jimenez and Gonzalo Garcia. In addition, he is also a member of the U23 national team that won the gold medal at the Olympic Games last year.
The defender still has the option to represent Colombia, but he has only played for Spain at youth level so far. He has not yet been called up to the adult national team by De La Fuente, and for the center back position of the Spanish first team, Real Madrid's Huizen, Atletico Madrid's Lenormand and Barcelona's 18-year-old Kubasi are all strong contenders.
In this regard, Mosquera said: "Spain contacted me when I was 14 or 15 years old. I don't remember having any conversations with Colombia at that time. So far, I have been playing for Spain according to the normal process. But I will not close any doors. I try to focus on the daily life of the club and let the opportunities come naturally."
"My teammates will ask me: 'International match day' Where are you going to play? ’ When I tell them I’m going to the U21 national team, they will be surprised, but I will take it in stride. It is also an honor to play for the U21 national team, which will allow me to get more game time.”
At Arsenal, he competes with two experienced central defenders Saliba and Gabriel, while the new summer signing Inkapier also performed well at Leverkusen. When talking about the competition for positions, Mosquera revealed that Arteta's coaching team has given him a lot of support.
Mosquera said: "Heinze (former Argentinian defender, who has played for clubs such as Manchester United and Real Madrid, and is now a member of the Arsenal first team coaching staff) has an aggressiveness, which is a unique spirit of the central defender. He has helped us defenders improve a lot. In addition, he is Argentinian, which is very helpful to me."
"Nico (Jofer) Er) also helped me deal with set-piece situations. In the Premier League, set-pieces are very important and more influential than in Spain. The coaching staff was very good and helped me a lot from the beginning."
When asked how he viewed his role at Arsenal, especially coming off the bench, Mosquera replied: "When I made my debut at Valencia at the age of 17. From time to time, you will feel that you are improving and want more game time, but you must be patient and know where you are. "
"These are all necessary processes. Now at Arsenal, I know that I have the ability to play, and there are many excellent players around me who can help me improve and grow. I now have a lot of opportunities to compete, and I am very happy. "
Finally, Mosquera reviewed his performance against Liverpool at Anfield. He said: "I am very calm. In addition to maintaining high intensity in the game, not being nervous is also one of the important factors that help me. I don’t think the fans knew much about me before, but I impressed them, made them happy and showed what I can do. "