“Mikel is unbelievable,” Spain boss Luis de la Fuente stated after the quarter-final win.
“He has many qualities. He’s a participant that throughout the entire World Cup might have performed in no matter crew and carried out nice.
“For us he’s the usual of this concept, of this mannequin. It’s a pleasure to have him, and others however particularly him. We all know that with out fail he’s at all times there.”
All the time there he could also be, however Merino himself feared he wouldn’t be match sufficient to play at this World Cup.
“The actual fact of being right here a number of months in the past was unthinkable,” Merino stated after the Portugal win.
“Now I’m, as I stated earlier than, on the highest level, having fun with one of many happiest moments of my profession.
“Now I keep in mind all these unhealthy moments, all of the individuals who have supported me, all of the individuals who have pushed me when even I generally discovered it tough to consider I could possibly be right here.”
Merino’s heroics will probably be a well-recognized sight for Arsenal followers, with the 30-year-old having carried out related on the Gunners.
Historically a midfielder, his peak has seen him utilised as a striker by Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, and the primary time he was utilized in such a job was when he memorably got here off the bench to attain twice towards Leicester in a 2-0 win in February final 12 months.
“Merino is simply a kind of gamers who arrives on the proper time, on the proper second in large video games,” former England striker Wayne Rooney stated on Match of the Day.
De la Fuente added: “He could be one of the best striker and one of the best midfielder due to his understanding of the sport. He interprets the sport completely.
“He’s dedicated, he’s beneficiant, he’s joyful to do the work.”
