Arsenal vs Vitoria Guimaraes - Ryan Giggs DVD sparked Rob Holding’s yoga passion

Posted Thursday, October 24, 2019 by PA

Arsenal defender Rob Holding has revealed how a Ryan Giggs DVD inspired him to take up yoga and that he now practises the discipline regularly as part of his training regime.

The 24-year-old is likely to start Arsenal’s Europa League Group F tie at home to Vitoria on Thursday as he continues the long journey back from a serious knee injury.

He is yet to play in the Premier League this season as head coach Unai Emery eases him back into the Gunners side.

But he disclosed on the eve of the Vitoria game that he has been enjoying yoga for some time after receiving Giggs’ DVD as a gift from his mother.

“There is about six players plus (assistant coach) Freddie Ljungberg, he joins in and does a bit of yoga,” he said.

“It’s a good group there and it’s up to you. If you want to do it, you can do it. We come in and do one session a week. I enjoy it, so I do it. I’ve been doing it since I’ve been here, so coming up to the fourth year now.

“When I was growing up, my mum actually got me a Ryan Giggs DVD about yoga.

“It lengthened his career, so I was like, you know what, if he’s doing it then I should be doing it. So I’ve just maintained it.”

Holding enjoyed a fine run in the Arsenal side in the early part of last season and was a star of their 22-game unbeaten run before suffering knee ligament damage in December.

Having been capped at Under-21 level, the former Bolton man admitted he had been in communication with England assistant Steve Holland about a potential senior call-up before he was ruled out for 10 months.

“I knew I was close before my injury,” he said.

“You see it with the likes of (Fikayo) Tomori and Ben Chilwell getting in there.

“I always bring up Ben Chilwell, who’s done so well to cement a place at such a young age. Trent Alexander-Arnold too.

“They’re all young English players and it shows that if you’re playing, you get looked at and put in there. I’m sure (Gareth) Southgate will look at me and see what he wants to do.

“I saw him in the international break before my injury. They were training and I remember as I walked past I spoke to Steve Holland, who told me they were looking at me, so I need to keep going and keep working hard.

“We’ll see what happens in the future. I wouldn’t say I’m getting any pressure from it, I’m just keeping my head down and doing my own thing.

“I just need to focus on what I need to do, which is play football for Arsenal. If it comes, it comes.”

Vitoria head coach Ivo Vieira insists they will go on the attack.

“We are all focused, despite not scoring our characteristics will grow and we will do our best to win,” he said on Wednesday.

“We are playing a strong team tomorrow but we have to believe we can win for the 15,000 fans coming tomorrow.

“We have got to fight and do our best, we have come here to attack and we have come here to win.

“To have most of the possession and consistently have the ball, that is what we are aiming to do.

“The more we have of the ball, the more is possible and that is what we are going to be doing.

“Arsenal are doing well in the league, they are a strong team, we can’t take that fact away, it will be a difficult game but we want to come away with a win.”