It was a conversation with British heavyweight boxer David Haye that altered Hector Bellerin’s mindset.
At the beginning of last season, the Arsenal defender felt the need to detoxify his body and was becoming increasingly concerned by inflammation in his ankles after games.
Haye, a vocal advocate of Veganism, reassured Bellerin that a plant-based diet should be the way forward.
Bellerin is now a year into his reformed life. ‘I realised that at some point I didn’t really need to eat meat. I learned a lot about it and asked other athletes such as Haye.
'I spoke to others in the movement and I decided to take the step. My goal was to try for three weeks but the difference I felt in my body was massive so I decided to stick to it.
‘The recovery after games in my muscles and the long-term injuries that I have had before have started to recover way quicker. So why would I change something that is working for me?
'When I told my parents at first, they didn’t really understand it. But now after spending time with them this summer, they have ditched a bit of meat from their own diets.
‘People seem to feel better when they do it. It’s not only that. I try anything that can improve me. I have done yoga for four years now.
‘Players like Per Mertesacker introduced it and there are now seven of us that do it each week. It helps us with our flexibility and to keep our mind off things for a bit. Yoga has been done for thousands of years and if people keep doing it, it must mean it works.’
Bellerin, now 24, is emerging as one of the more unique characters in the Premier League. After scouring the fashion outlets of London’s Carnaby Street, he has become one of the most maverick dressers in the Premier League and earlier this year attended London’s fashion week.
He last season became the first active Premier League player to address the Oxford Union, where he criticised the notorious Arsenal Fan TV, and last week took to social media to support his team-mate Mesut Ozil after the German quit international football, alleging he had endured ‘racism and disrespect.’
Bellerin’s focus now, however, is on the field and coming to terms with the departure of his mentor Arsene Wenger. Since arriving at Arsenal as a 16-year-old from Barcelona, Wenger developed Bellerin into one of Europe’s outstanding full-backs.
The culture change this summer has been sharp. The ears prick up, for example, when Bellerin still refers to Wenger as ‘the boss’ but Bellerin has been impressed by new manager Unai Emery’s renewed focus on pressing and defensive organisation.
‘It has been very different for everyone. Mr Wenger had been at the club 22 years. When a new coach comes in, lots of things change, not just on the pitch but the backroom staff is different. A lot of people that weren’t here before are now here. Every change is always for the better.
'They had a lot experts looking for a coach and if they think Unai Emery is the one, he will be. He has great experience in Spain, he has been at the top level and even with teams that have not had the best players, he has made them competitive.
‘The training has been way different. We work on different things to how we did with the boss (Wenger). Both coaches have philosophies that are different.
‘Arsene Wenger was a manager that led a lot of inspiration from the players. He gave you a lot of freedom. Unai Emery is a bit more tactical. We are going to be more organised on the pitch and they are different philosophies that have worked for them both.
‘We are getting used to it, working really hard, everyone is really excited.’
For Bellerin, the challenge is enhanced this season following the signing of 34-year-old full-back Stephan Lichtsteiner, who joins after seven years with Juventus and over 100 international caps for Switzerland.
Bellerin is not flustered: ‘He is a great addition to the squad, with loads of experience. He is a top defender but he has a really good attacking sense as well. As a young defender, it is really good to have someone like that to learn from.’