GABRIEL JESUS has revealed the reason behind his phone-call celebration – which has been ringing off the hook as of late.
The £45million Arsenal man has been in fine form since returning from a knee injury in March – scoring four goals in his last five appearances.
Gabriel Jesus whips out an imaginary phone every time he celebrates
The Brazilian’s celebration is in homage to his mum
The Brazilian has whipped out his answering-the-phone celebration for each of those goals – prompting fans to wonder why he picks up his imaginary mobile.
And he’s revealed it’s in homage to a pre-match call he received from his mum ahead of his appearance in the Selecao’s 2016 World Cup qualifier with Venezuela.
The 26-year-old recalled: “It was a joke with my friends, a ‘Hello, mother’.
“My friends know why.
“My mother knows too. It was a celebration for them.”
Jesus doesn’t just pick up the phone when he scores a goal as a nod to that pre-match call from his mum.
It’s also of a tribute to the struggles they overcame as a family.
He continued: “When we were kids, my mom would be calling me all the time to find out where I was.
“And if I didn’t pick up, she’d start calling all my friends.
“When I pick up the phone, it is in honour of my mother and our struggle.
“But it is also in honour of my friends and family and Coach Mamede and everyone in Brazil who helped me get here.”
Jesus and his Arsenal team-mates will be back in action on Friday night, welcoming relegation battlers Southampton to the Emirates.
The Gunners will look to bounce back from consecutive draws – in which they twice blew two-goal leads – against Liverpool and West Ham.
Mikel Arteta’s troops currently top the Premier League title by four behinds, although they’ve played a game more than defending champions Manchester City.
