Joao Virginia interview: Goalkeeper opens up on Arsenal 'dream' and his 'interesting' next move | OneFootball

Portuguese shot-stopper reflects on his time at Arsenal and what comes next as he weighs up offers after leaving Everton

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It was almost exactly 10 years ago that Joao Virginia made one of the biggest decisions of his career in joining Arsenal.

Aged just 16 at the time, the goalkeeper elected to leave Benfica in his native Portugal to sign for the Gunners.

Virginia made the move on his own, living in ‘digs’ with fellow academy player Eddie Nketiah, and spent three years with Arsenal before joining Everton in 2018.

“Being a young lad from Portugal and joining one of the biggest clubs in the world was a dream,” Virginia tells Standard Sport.

“I was really over the moon about everything, the project, the players I was going to be training with.

Joao Virginia joined Arsenal aged 16 and spent three years in their academy

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

“It was actually the same year Petr Cech joined, and to go there and have the pleasure of working side by side with such a goalkeeper - and such a good person - was amazing.

“Petr is very enthusiastic about football, he speaks a lot. He loves goalkeeping and he was very helpful, especially to me because I was so young. He would give me advice and how to do things differently.”

Virginia played for Arsenal’s youth teams, but he was regularly invited to train with the first team.

In those sessions, he came up against the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and, towards the end of his time at the club, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

For a young goalkeeper, it was valuable experience and Virginia has fond memories of his time at Arsenal.

“I often wonder what would have been if I never left Portugal, but I do believe that I made the right choice when I was young,” he says.

Joao Virginia often trained with the first team at Arsenal

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

“I joined a great academy that was, perhaps, working at a different level than if I had stayed in Portugal.

“Physically I started to work way more on my body, my explosion and my strength. At that age in Portugal, you would not do that.

“At the end of my first season at Arsenal, I had gained 10kg of muscle - but didn’t lose any speed.

Virginia remains in contact with others from his time at Arsenal. He recalls with affection his time living with Nketiah, while Nathan Tella later joined them, too.

When Everton played Newcastle on the final day of last season, Joe Willock and Virginia sought each other out to swap shirts.

“Eddie and I used to go into training together,” says Virginia. “It was a big difference, because my English wasn’t the best, but he helped me a lot.

“I had lessons when I was young to improve, but being in ‘digs’ helped a lot. I had a very good lady in the house, Lina, who was so helpful to me.

“But I do remember the freedom! I was young and focused on playing football, and that was the main thing.

Joao Virginia spent seven years at Everton

Getty Images

“But sometimes we would have a cheat meal - without ‘the digs’ women knowing! We’d order Two for Tuesdays from Domino’s.

“The main difference was the weather. Obviously, I was used to Portuguese food as well and going to England was definitely different. You get used to it after a while, especially the weather, when you are doing what you love.”

A decade on from joining Arsenal, there is now another big decision for Virginia to make.

The 25-year-old is currently a free agent after his contract at Everton expired and he is weighing up his next move.

Virginia is attracting interest from Premier League and Championship clubs, as well as sides in Portugal and Spain. Benfica, who he left in 2015 to join Arsenal, are also tracking him.

As he considers his options, Virgínia is living and training in the Algarve - where he grew up.

Virginia’s day starts with an early alarm call as he begins training on the pitch, often with one of his former goalkeeping coaches. After a two-hour session, he heads indoor to the gym to carry on working.

It can be a lonely existence, though Virgínia is buoyed by the fact that many players also train in the Algarve over the summer. In recent weeks, he has worked with his former Everton team-mates Ashley Young and Dwight McNeil.

“I have people that I trust, that I have been working with for a long time,” says Virginia. “They have been helping me, especially in this period, because it is really necessary to be prepared to start the season as soon as I can. It could happen at any moment.

“This is an interesting step in my career, looking at the options I have and finding the right one. My main objective is to go out there and play, and show what I have been learning all this time.

“I feel like I am at a stage where I am more than ready, more than capable, and I have proved it a lot of times when I have been out there.

“I have been at Everton for a long time. I love the club, I love the people. It’s been so long that I needed to start somewhere and build up my career again.

“I felt like I gave everything at Everton and it was time to find a new adventure, and hopefully play more. This is what I want, to grow as a goalkeeper, and to do that I need the right environment.

“There’s a big chance that I might stay in England, which would be great. I would like to stay at a very good level and play every week.”