Hector Bellerin at The Oxford Union
Born in Catalonia, influenced and refined by adolescence in the bustling mazes of North London, Hector Bellerin’s first words in the Union Chamber betray a crisp and captivating accent meshing together his improbable heritage. If the accent is what strikes first however, it is the seriously impressive individual in possession of it that leaves a permanent impression.
The first ever active Premier League footballer to speak at the illustrious venue, an hour in the company of the Arsenal right-back reveals precisely why: he is a rebuke to the stereotypical modern-day superstar; a unique and wonderfully charismatic 22-year-old conveying maturity and intelligence well beyond his years.
Bellerin made the life-changing decision to transfer his footballing education to England at the age of 16, and reveals his heart was set on Arsenal right from a nascent glimpse of life at the club. Transition was “so easy” he recalls confidently; the difficulty? The beginnings of a wide grin appear on his face and Bellerin begins to laugh, “The timing, in Spain we have siestas.”
Whilst Bellerin settled seamlessly into life in England (and his body clock adjusted), on the pitch there was a stark contrast to what he had become accustomed to. Whilst at Barcelona training was always with the ball — Bellerin scrunches his face quizzically to reconstitute his sense of shock — the ball was absent in his first Arsenal session; he describes the difference between the footballing cultures as “like night and day”.
Bellerin feels his success today is the result of a perfect fusion of the two divergent styles: he describes himself as “incredibly lucky to have experienced the World’s best academy [La Masia]” but feels that his time at Arsenal fostered a drive to work hard off the field and in the gym at the perfect stage of his career. When the added physicality led to injury his parents would fly over from Spain to sooth the pain, and even lived permanently in the country for two years.
It is from his Mum, and his Grandma, that he derives his love for flamboyant dress; a childhood filled with colourful memories of the market from which his family would sell their homemade clothing. As he puts it, “fashion is in my blood”. Recently there has been a social media obsession with some of the more ostentatious outfits he has donned in public, but Bellerin delivers the perfect retort with not even a hint of pique: “I don’t care. I like how I look”.
It is this eminently likeable blend of boyish swagger and desire to live his best life that endears him immediately to the youthful crowd, but that has also been wildly misconstrued countless times in the media as naiveté and seen Bellerin face a torrent of backlash in light of some sub-standard performances. His predictably level-headed response? “Don’t worry, calm down.”
Bellerin is planning for the future and has many frontiers that he indulges away from the game when training finishes at 2pm — his widespread interests and social media presence are viewed best as a bid to avoid unhealthy obsession with the game: “I am a human being. I have passions, I have hobbies but equally, I am a footballer and that is my main focus.”
Being at the vanguard of the generation, Bellerin sees technology as the perfect way to challenge the norm and further himself; a marketing diploma and an understanding, developed with his ambassadorial role with companies such as Puma, of the way brands operate has fuelled the creation of two apps that are currently in development — the first of which, Bellerin beams, is ahead of its time.
In labelling Elon Musk as a “visionary” and anointing Ronaldinho as his hero, Bellerin vividly paints the picture of an incredibly ambitious young man with an insatiable desire to learn, and one who runs out onto the field every Saturday out of a naked enjoyment for the beautiful game more than anything else.
As the floor opens to questions from the assembled students this ambition and charm gives way to a more serious and considered side, articulating on an array of topics ranging from Catalonian independence to racism, and mental health to the novel exodus of footballing talent to China. Some of the comments levelled at Aaron Lennon in a recent battle with mental health are labelled “pathetic”, whilst Freddie Flintoff is lauded for his outspoken attitudes on the topic; Bellerin explains admirably the reasons why a player such as Oscar, who has come from little in Brazil, may have a wider perspective to his financial income than others more privileged.
Cedric Bakambu is the latest player to join the Chinese Super League, becoming the most expensive African player of all time in signing for Beijing Guoan for £65million, and Bellerin reveals his next charity project will be a community building project with his girlfriend in the Continent. On the topic of his philanthropism, Bellerin explains his criteria for charitable donation as causes he can relate to and get behind, the same set of rules also applying to the brands he supports. It is clear that his heady social media presence is augmented with a great sense of responsibility to influence in a positive manner.
But an intense love for football is evident throughout and, in a week that Arsenal face off against Tottenham in the North London Derby, Bellerin ignites the war of words in the dying embers of the discussion, labelling Wembley “our home” — and evoking memories of his “favourite ever match”, the 2015 FA Cup Final win there. An Arsenal fan is handed the microphone and a final feverish zeal returns to Bellerin as he is reminded of the moment, at Loftus Road in 2015, he first heard the chant sung in his honour (to the tune of Give It Up / KC and the Sunshine Band); he raises his hand and punches the air in delight, “I got a song!”.