‘They’re leaders’ – Rob Holding names two ex-Arsenal teammates he’s trying to emulate

Former Arsenal defender, Rob Holding, has named Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny as the two former Gunners’ teammates he is trying to emulate at Crystal Palace.

Holding, who joined Crystal Palace this year after leaving Arsenal, said he is hoping to inspire his younger Eagles’ teammates in the same way Mertesacker and Koscielny inspired him at Emirates.

The 28-year-old switched the Emirates Stadium for Selhurst Park on transfer deadline day, ending a seven-year spell at the North London club.

During his time at Arsenal, Holding captained the team a few times and played with several greats and notable club captains including Granit Xhaka, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Martin Odegaard.

“I’ve got a lot of experience, 28 years old now and they’ve got quite a young team at Palace, they’ve got some young lads coming through,” Holding told talkSPORT.

“Any little things that I have picked up from my time at Arsenal when I first stepped into the changing room and you had the likes of Mertesacker and Koscielny, they are just leaders.

“If I can take any bits that I got from them and pass them onto the lads that are a bit younger at Palace now, then I can do that.”