Leandro Trossard is already eying the future beyond his playing days at Arsenal.
The 29-year-old has been an important player for the Gunners since moving from Brighton & Hove Albion in January 2023. Earning himself the reputation of being a deadly finisher, the Belgian has scored some important goals for Mikel Arteta during his near two-year spell at the club.
While still giving his all on the pitch, Trossard has been laying the groundwork for a career after retirement. The former Gent star has already undertaken a coaching course and has earned his A-licence.
“Well, I have done my A License,” he said, via the Mirror. “I enjoyed the on-pitch side of it, giving the sessions, but the theoretical stuff – that was a bit much! And actually designing the sessions was really hard work.
“You might not think it, because when you are playing, you just get on with it. You come into training, do your stuff and everything is done for you. But once you need to design them yourself, you actually see what goes into it.
“Even the things like the coaches need to referee in training as well. When the ball goes out of play, the players will moan, but when you do it yourself you see it’s not always the easiest call to make!”
Trossard may not be set on coaching just yet but he credits Arteta and other managers he has worked with for influencing the style of football he would play if he was to go into management. “It would be to play attacking football,” Trossard explained.
“Play nice, offensive football. I’ve learned a lot from the coaches I’ve worked with. I’ve worked with some great coaches and I think I could have some good ideas from them, but I’m not sure if I would do it. Obviously being a head coach is a lot – a lot of work. They spend so much time at the training ground, it’s actually crazy.
“But the older I get, the more I enjoy the analysis side of it too. Before I never had any interest in that, but I think I’ve developed more in that way as well. I want to know more about my stats, what I do in games and I think it’s also a good way to recover, when you know how you feel after the work you’ve done. We have a tough schedule, so any stats you can use to help recovery is great for that.
“There was none of that when I started in Belgium. We went on the pitch, trained, then went home!”
Trossard, who was linked with an exit to Saudi Arabia in the summer, may well have a decision to make over his future in the coming months as his Arsenal contract expires in the summer of 2026. Edu and Arteta will not want to lose a player of Trossard’s quality for nothing so the Belgian may need to decide whether he signs a new contract at Emirates Stadium or leaves permanently.
