Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli names Man Utd legend as his idol in touching tribute

Gabriel Martinelli has named his footballing idol, and Arsenal fans may not be best pleased with his answer.

Martinelli signed for the Gunners in July 2019 from Brazilian side Ituano and he has not looked back since.

The 21-year-old has played a key part in Mikel Arteta's incredible title bid, enjoying his best-scoring season at the Emirates.

He is the club's joint top scorer in the league alongside Martin Odegaard on 15 goals.

Fans were delighted when he chose to extend his stay in north London, keeping him at the club until 2027.

However, they may turn a blind eye to some of his other choices, after the Brazilian revealed his hero on the football pitch.

Martinelli names his idol

Speaking to the Arsenal website, Martinelli revealed he looked up to Cristiano Ronaldo when he was growing up, stating he "loved his style".

"If you were talking about footballers, the person I looked up to was always Cristiano Ronaldo,” he said. “I used to watch him a lot when I was growing up, I loved his style."

While few can argue with Ronaldo's astonishing achievements, Gunners fans may have wished it was someone else based on Ronaldo's Manchester United allegiance.

However, Martinelli had a far more touching response when asked about his inspirations off the pitch, attributing much of his success to his parents.

"In life my main inspirations for sure are my parents. Back when I was young and still now, they are always there for me," he continued.

“They have helped me in so many ways, from day one, they have always been with me, supporting me, giving me advice and trying to help me.

“My dad played a bit of football when he was younger. He wasn’t professional but he liked to play, for fun and he loves the sport.

“So when I was younger I always wanted to play, and my parents would encourage me too. I think my dad always had that dream of having a son that could become a professional footballer. My mum as well always encouraged me from day one when I started out in football.

“They always did everything they could to help me achieve my goals and to become a footballer.”