'I was glad to quit Arsenal for Dinamo - but now I have no club after ripping up my deal'

Robbie Burton famously snubbed Arsenal successful favour of Dinamo Zagreb successful 2020 but has present recovered himself without a nine aft things failed to enactment retired successful the Croatian capital

Arsenal are acceptable to look Dinamo Zagreb successful the Champions League connected Wednesday - 2 teams Robbie Burton knows each excessively familiarly.

The 25-year-old spent 14 years successful Arsenal's younker set-up betwixt 2006 and 2020, moving his mode up to skipper astatine the U23 level and adjacent impressing first-team manager Unai Emery acknowledgment to a proposal from Freddie Llungberg.

Burton recovered himself portion of Emery's pre-season squad for the 2019/20 campaign, wherever helium made a second-half quality successful a 2-1 triumph implicit Bayern Munich successful California. Speaking of the Swede's power astatine the time, Emery said: "Very positive. We worked past twelvemonth with Steve Bould and Freddie with the Under-23s.

"We changed due to the fact that for them it was a bully option. With Freddie we are working. Above each he’s helping america with the young players due to the fact that helium knows amended than america each young player. For illustration Robbie [Burton], I didn’t cognize Robbie. Freddie said to maine he’s a bully subordinate with the capableness to play arsenic a 6 oregon 8. Really helium helped america similar we needed."

While Burton showed a wealthiness of committedness to 1 time interruption into the Arsenal archetypal squad oregon adjacent correspond the Welsh nationalist team, it simply wasn't meant to be. He parted ways with Arsenal successful 2020 to research different avenues, joining Dinamo Zagreb successful a reported £800,000 transfer.

The cardinal midfielder initially signed a nonrecreational declaration with the Croatian capital's B-Team successful the Druga NHL earlier soon aft making his mode into the archetypal team. On his move, helium told The Sun successful 2021: "It was a hazard to determination here. I felt I was acceptable for first-team shot and I’d got to an property wherever I needed that experience.

"The past of Dinamo bringing done top, young, players similar [Luka] Modric has ever been excellent. The mode they brought done world-class midfielders attracted me. So galore Croatia internationals came done here. It’s a large spot to beryllium arsenic a young player."

He besides explained that helium didn't person "any regrets" astir parting ways with Arsenal, adding: "I supported them arsenic a kid and I had 14 years there, truthful I ever wanted to play for the archetypal team. I was disappointed that I ne'er got a competitory crippled for them. Getting this accidental has helped maine arsenic a footballer and arsenic a person.

"I could person stayed successful England and not travel retired of my comfortableness zone. I could person stayed astatine Arsenal for different year. Taking this measurement was a leap into the unknown. I’m gladsome I did it."

Ultimately, things didn't spell to program for Burton successful Zagreb. The youngster made conscionable 17 appearances for the archetypal squad betwixt 2020 and 2023, alternatively enduring indebtedness spells with Istra 1961 and Sligo Rovers - earlier a imperishable determination to the second came successful the summertime of 2023 arsenic helium terminated his declaration successful Croatia by communal consent.

Burton made conscionable 7 much appearances for Sligo Rovers during the 2023 run earlier helium was released by the League of Ireland Premier Division broadside astatine the extremity of the season. He has been without a nine ever since and has not represented Wales astatine elder level.

Arsenal and Dinamo Zagreb clash successful the Champions League astatine the Emirates Stadium connected Wednesday evening. Now fronted by Mikel Arteta, the Gunners volition anticipation to unafraid their spot successful the knockout stages of the tourney with a win.

The northbound London outfit person won four, drawn 1 and mislaid 1 successful the contention and volition look to enactment themselves successful a bully presumption to suffice to the circular of 16 with a triumph implicit their Croatian opponents. Their past Champions League clash backmost successful December saw a triumph implicit Monaco, with Bukayo Saka bagging a brace and Kai Havertz besides uncovering the backmost of the net.

Their last crippled of the radical signifier is simply a travel to Girona astatine the extremity of January. Zagreb, meanwhile, are looking to unafraid a spot successful the play-offs of the knockout stages - sitting with a grounds of 2 wins, draws, and losses apiece.

They were capable to clasp Celtic to a goalless gully connected location ungraded successful their past Champions League outing, but volition anticipation to amended connected their lacklustre commencement to the contention astatine the Emirates connected Wednesday. After their clash with Arsenal, they spell connected to look Milan astatine location successful their last outing of the radical stages.

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