Per Mertesacker hails Hector Bellerin maturity

Per Mertesacker has hailed fellow Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin for the way in which he has matured in the Gunners' first team this season.

The 20-year-old Spaniard was thrust into the spotlight in January after an injury to right-back Mathieu Debuchy left Arsene Wenger short of options.

Bellerin, who opened the scoring in Saturday's 4-1 win over Liverpool, looks to have risen to the task, however, and Mertesacker is enthused by what he has seen from the youngster thus far.

"He scored the first goal and that was vital," the German is quoted as saying by The Express. "He's given us a lot of energy this season.

"He's stepped up because we've had a lot of injuries but he gave us such a great energy and he's capable of producing great performances."

Bellerin, a product of Barcelona's youth academy, has started 17 games in all competitions for Arsenal this season.