Mikel Arteta retires, leaves Arsenal to join Pep Guardiola coaching staff at Manchester City

Mikel Arteta is no longer a professional footballer, but he's now got one of the most high-profile jobs in the Premier League.

The former Arsenal midfielder, who retired after last season, has announced he will join Pep Guardiola's coaching staff at Manchester City. Arteta took to Twitter to announce the news:

Hi all, here a statement from me on the next chapter in my football career... pic.twitter.com/2Xb9VifCog

— Mikel Arteta (@m8arteta) 3 de julho de 2016

Of course, it is impossible to know how good of a coach Arteta really is. But whenever he wasn't injured, we saw a coach on the pitch, with his leadership skills and vision. He always wanted to be a coach, and actually was one during his last season, where he spent a lot more time on the bench than on the pitch.

Guardiola and Arteta are friends from all the way back at Barcelona, when Arteta was coming up the youth academy and Pep was still a player. The two always wanted to work together, and Arteta brings a good deal of Premier League experience, which is vital for Pep in the beginning stages of his City career.

Welcome, Arteta!