Mikel Arteta said having four Arsenal players in the England squad is a sign that club is moving in the right direction.
Gareth Southgate named Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White, Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe in his latest squad for this month’s friendlies against Switzerland and the Ivory Coast.
Arteta said: “I’m really happy for the boys. They deserve to be there, they work so hard and I know how much it means to represent the country.
“As a club we have to be very proud that our players are being noticed. It’s been a long time since that happened to it’s a good sign.
Arteta said Ramsdale was frustrated by the manner of the first goal he conceded in the Gunners’ loss to Liverpool on Wednesday, but he needs to be less critical of himself if he is to be at the top of his game for club and country.
He said: “He was gutted after the match and it’s normal because he’s so competitive. He needs to realise that this is going to happen in his career.
“In the national team this is going to happen and if you want to be at the top for 10, 15 years you have to have these moments.
“He’s very critical of himself so sometimes he needs help to put things into perspective.”
On if Ramsdale is England’s best goalkeeper at present, Arteta said: “He’s there now and he’s going to be fighting for a place. Knowing Aaron he’s going to be pushing it very hard because it’s one of his biggest dreams.”
