Hector Bellerin believes that great expectations have helped him forge an immediate bond with fellow Arsenal full-back Kieran Tierney.
Tierney joined Arsenal from Celtic last summer, with the young left-back's pace and attacking ability drawing immediate comparisons with Bellerin on the right flank.
Arsenal fans who were hoping to witness a formidable wing-back partnership blossom this season have been left disappointed due to Tierney's injury problems, with the Scotland international joining the Gunners while out of action before suffering a dislocated shoulder to leave him out of action for three months.
While the Premier League season is currently suspended until April 30 at the earliest due to the coronavirus pandemic, that gives Tierney time to work back to full fitness - and Bellerin believes the pair will form a strong partnership on the pitch after bonding off it.
“My relationship with Kieran was really good from the start," Bellerin told Arsenal's website.
“I felt we kind of knew that a lot of people were expecting us to be a full-back unit, so we always joked about that which gave us a common ground from the start that we could share without even knowing each other."
Bellerin also says that Tierney helped him during his rehabilitation from a serious knee injury last year.
“He made me push myself even further because he was hitting more speed than me," he said. "I was thinking, 'No, this can't happen, I need to run quicker than him', then he would run quicker.
“If he wasn't there, my rehab would've been very different because that offered me motivation and improvement.
Arsenal players grounded during Coronavirus
“I'm not going to lie, there were mornings where we felt so tired and our muscles were aching because we were coming back from not running for six months into very hard work.
“There were mornings where we couldn't put two passes together, there were mornings where we were amazing and there are things I look back on now and think, 'Yo, that was a good time’.
