Arthur, 20, will be reunited with his former Bees mentor when Celts travel to Dens Park on Sunday
Celtic’s Benjamin Arthur(Image: SNS Group)
Benjamin Arthur has looked the part at Celtic… thanks to the best-dressed man at Brentford.
The borrowed Bees defender is set to face Dundee on Sunday as the Hoops return to Premiership duty following the international break. And it’s a chance for a reunion with his old mentor Steven Pressley.
The Dens Park gaffer headed up individual player development at the west London club when Arthur joined, taking him under his wing. The England youth cap is not surprised to see Dundee turning on the style in recent months under their dapper gaffer who is renowned for his suave outfits. But Arthur was more interested in advice on the pitch than fashion tips.
He said: “What’s better – his dress sense or his knowledge? Well, he’s a very well dressed man! Let’s clear that one up.
“He’s well dressed but he’s also a very smart guy, so definitely his tactical knowledge is better. He knows a lot about the game, he’s had loads of experience.
“He was an IPD coach at Brentford so I had a very close relationship with him. I did a lot of work with him on and off the pitch. He did loads for me.
“As soon as I came to Brentford, he took me under his wing, he helped me learn a lot about communication, positioning. We went over every game for 30 minutes after it, going through clips, how I could learn, things I’ve done well.
“I’m really thankful for him. I’ll be very excited to see him. I saw him after my first game here. It was too soon for me to be involved but I caught up with him briefly.
Dundee boss Steven Pressley(Image: Fred Palmer/Focus Images Ltd/Shutterstock)
“He had a great career, so for me it was learning as much as I could off him, taking things he would tell me day by day and just keep learning off him.”
Pressley boasts a wealth of experience to pass on and Arthur admits the former Hearts hero is the definition of a leader he looks to for inspiration.
Elvis told him to study superstars like Virgil van Dijk as Arthur added: “I try to look at a lot of players. I watch a lot of football, so I see a lot of centre-backs day to day and just pick out things I like that they do.
“Some players are more natural-born leaders. Looking at things like that, I try to pick out how I can communicate better and little habits a lot of high-quality defenders have.”
Arthur is grateful for the part Pressley played in his development but he’s determined to ruin his former coach’s weekend.
Celtic slipped up on Tayside before the break with a second defeat to Dundee United at Tannadice this season, leaving Martin O’Neill’s third-placed side five points behind leaders Hearts.
Pressley is also eyeing a Celts double on home soil after masterminding a superb 2-0 win in October. Arthur only checked in to Parkhead on loan in February and had to be patient to get his chance.
But while Celtic stumbled, he has impressed and could be handed a run in the side at a pivotal time. The Hoops cannot look past Dee and Arthur is relishing another reunion with his old Bees room-mate turned Dee frontman Ashley Hay.
Liverpool superstar and ex-Celtic defender Virgil van Dijk(Image: Marcel ter Bals/MTB-Photo/Shutterstock)
The 20-year-old said: “I lived with him for my second season, we had an apartment. He was the cook and the cleaner! He’s a great guy… hopefully he’ll say the same about me.
“He’s doing really well at Dundee. I’ve never played against him – we played together a few times and obviously up against him in training. He’s a very good player. We speak quite regularly.”
Arthur will be aiming to keep his old roomie quiet but the youngster has certainly looked tidy. The centre-back came through at Peterborough before being snapped up by the Moneyball experts at Brentford and has been tipped as a future England full international.
Arthur had been given a taste of their top team in the League Cup but was desperate to make it a regular thing north of the border.
He did his homework and as well as leaning on relationships with Pressley plus Hay, Arthur also had another couple of well-known faces from Scottish football at Brentford.
Kristoffer Ajer was a stand-out for Celts before his £14million switch while Arthur is also close pals with Scotland full-back Aaron Hickey.
He added: “I briefly spoke to Aaron about his time. He’s a good guy. He’s struggled with his injuries but he’s a very good player.”