'It was very tough to leave Arsenal - but the fact we could bring a cup to the city was one of the best experiences of my life' Hector Bellerin opens up on Gunners exit

Spanish right-back Hector Bellerin was a staple at Arsenal for almost a decade, with his time on north London stretching from the latter years of Arsene Wenger’s reign, right up until Mikel Arteta’s tenure.

After joining the club from the Barcelona youth set-up as a 16-year-old in 2011, he would make more than 200 appearances for the club before leaving to join Real Betis on loan for the 2021/22 season, with a permanent move back to Barcelona coming the next summer.

During this Betis loan spell, Bellerin helped the team win the Copa del Rey, which helped pave the way for his return to the Camp Nou.

Hector Bellerin relfects on his post-Arsenal career

“First, it was very tough to leave Arsenal, even initially on loan,” Bellerin recalls to FourFourTwo. “But I arrived at a Betis side that was full of humble guys and top professionals, who I still call friends. The fact we could bring a Copa del Rey to the city was one of the best experiences of my life. Winning a trophy is amazing; you’ll always have the medal to look at. But winning it alongside such a great team of hard workers and the club’s amazing staff was incredible.

“It was a very wholesome experience, and felt similar to winning my first FA Cup with Arsenal. They’re both great, but for different reasons. It’s not easy to win a trophy when you have Barcelona and Real Madrid in the same tournament.“

Bellerin had clearly enjoyed his year at Betis, but did not think a move back to Barca would be on the cards.

“That year, after winning that Copa del Rey, I wanted to go back to Betis,” the 30-year-old continues. “It was impossible because of financial reasons, which was heartbreaking news for me. So I thought I’d simply stay at Arsenal, as I had one more year on my contract. Then Barcelona called at the last minute and I was shocked.

“When I was at La Masia, it was everyone’s dream to play for the first team someday, so I had to take the chance. It was a huge privilege to wear the Barcelona shirt and play at the Camp Nou. It was something that I never thought I’d be able to achieve for some reason, but life gave me that opportunity. It’s true that things didn’t work out the way I wished. But it was a learning experience – I felt really lucky that I had the opportunity to wear that shirt and make my family proud.“

Bellerin would only make seven appearances for Barca and joined Sporting the following campaign, before he finally got his wish and returned to Betis in July 2023. "Going back to Betis was something I needed – signing a long-term contract at home in Spain, and being able to create stronger connections with my friends, get to know the city properly, find a routine I could enjoy, and explore a different side of life. Going abroad at such a young age and then moving clubs was tough, but now I’m appreciating the experience of being myself in the same place – it’s really nice.”

Bellerin came within touching distance of another trophy with Betis last season, when the club lost to Chelsea in the Conference League Final.

"We felt that reaching the Conference League Final was a big step forward,” he continues. “We were unlucky in the game, against the team that would become world champions. That’s how football is – it was tough for us to take the result. Obviously it wasn’t what we wanted, but it was nice to see our fans travelling to Poland to experience a major final abroad. Even though we were beaten, that experience made us stronger, and the back-end of last season was very successful for us. The team has come back this season with the same hunger, and our objective is to get to the final of the Europa League this year.”

And Bellrin admits that being involved in one of the most successful chapters in Real Betis history is exciting.

"Betis are a massive club. We have a big fanbase, and we’re at the highest level the club have ever been – including five straight seasons playing in Europe now. Last season we qualified for the Europa League with four games to spare, which was our main objective. Now we’re trying to push for Champions League football. When I look at the squad, coach, fans and stadium we have, I feel we’ve got a real chance to achieve that. We have everything we need to succeed.”