Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori has revealed the unusual way in which he learnt English ahead of his move to the Gunners in the summer.
The Italian has quickly established himself as a fan favourite following his £42million transfer from Bologna after an impressive Euro 2024 campaign.
The 22-year-old scored his first goal for his new club in the Gunners’ feisty 2-2 draw with Manchester City at the Etihad last month.
Fans have been pleasantly surprised by his level of English despite never playing on these shores before. The defender has now revealed that much of his lessons came during session watching TV shows on Netflix, as well as listening to UK Drill.
‘I don’t know, since I was a kid. I started maybe with Netflix and with the lyrics of songs, UK Drill,’ he said on the BBC’s Football Focus. ‘Now I’m still learning, I want to have lessons, I want to improve a bit.
Riccardo Calafiori (centre) has quickly established himself as a fan favourite following his summer move
The defender opened his account for Arsenal in spectacular fashion with a stunning equaliser for the Gunners against Manchester City
‘I want to feel the whole experience. Become an English person.’
The genre, which originated in south London around a decade ago saw a big increase in its popularity in recent years.
Calafiori, who has started both of Arsenal’s Premier League outings since his full debut against the champions, has made an instant impression with his manager Mikel Arteta.
The Spaniard lauded his new signing following his contribution in the hard-fought draw against Pep Guardiola’s side.
‘He was great,’ said the Gunners boss. ‘To have the first Premier League game in this context – chapeau. He’s got so much personality, so much energy. The quality that he has shown today, I was really impressed.’
The Gunners can go top of the Premier League table with a win against Bournemouth when their domestic campaign resumes on Saturday evening, with both Liverpool and Manchester City playing on Sunday.
