Mikel Merino’s Most Treasured Memory

Mikel Merino could hardly have chosen a better occasion to write one of the brightest chapters of his already distinguished career. The Arsenal midfielder emerged as one of Spain’s heroes last night in Konya.

It was the first hat-trick of his professional career: “As a kid, when I played in Pamplona at 12 or 13, I remember scoring a few, but this is the first as a professional.” Merino’s relationship with goals is currently in one of its most prolific spells. He has now scored six times in his last six appearances for Spain: three against Türkiye, one in Bulgaria, one in the Nations League semi-final against France, and another in Rotterdam against the Netherlands. “I’m not used to scoring many goals, but lately they’ve been coming, and I’m very happy.”

Konya and the Büyükşehir Belediye Stadium will forever hold a special place in the heart of Spain’s No. 6: “It will always be special, not only for the hat-trick, but also for the emphatic team result.”

The key to this remarkable improvement in all areas of his game has been hard work. All three goals last night were of the highest quality, but perhaps the first was the most meaningful for the midfielder from Navarre: “It was a beautiful goal in which the whole team was involved. That is the identity of this team, and I’m very proud.”