ROB HOLDING is used to defying the odds.
From plying his trade in amateur soccer schools in Greater Manchester to being thrown into the deep end during the most testing of short-term loans at Bury aged 19.
He was not supposed to even make it to the Premier League, let alone produce stellar 90-minute performances at Wembley to lift two FA Cups.
Now, he has another challenge — proving he is good enough to be Arsenal’s first-choice centre back amid Mikel Arteta’s North London transformation.
Holding is no longer up and coming having turned 25 last month, and with the signings of young stars Gabriel and William Saliba he has a serious fight on his hands.
But those who know Holding the best know that’s exactly how he likes it.
His footballing development began as a six-year-old at Stalybridge Celtic Juniors — a volunteer-run soccer school in Ashton-under-Lyne.
The odds were stacked against him, mixing it with around 300 kids across 29 teams.
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Scouts from around the area would often pop in to spot the next superstar.
Holding certainly was not one of those but he was highly regarded.
At a presentation night in Mossley back in 2003, he was described glowingly in the programme.
It read: “Tall, strong defender who leads by example. Solid in the tackle he also has an awesome shot. Always seems to have time.”
Former Stalybridge chairman Gary Pearce remembers: “People would come to me and praise him specifically every week, not that he was a real stand-out.
“But we would have Bolton scouts come up every other week. One week they picked him out, and the rest is history.
“We get a lot of kids gather interest from these scouts but normally they get cast aside. It is such a kick in the teeth for them.
“But with Rob, he was unique in that regard. It doesn’t happen very often that players around here are kept on let alone play in the Premier League.
“I was involved with Stalybridge for 27 years and Rob is the first and only one to get to the Premier League.
“It is once in a blue moon to have a player at that level.”
Holding’s rise through the ranks at Bolton was not straightforward. Inconsistent performances saw some question his ability to make it into the first team.
He was sent on loan to League Two with Bury in March 2015.
He played just 11 minutes during a brief sub appearance away to Cambridge alongside a 23-year-old Nick Pope.
Returning to Bolton disillusioned and considering his future with the club, manager Neil Lennon handed him a new contract, and ultimately, a new lease of life.
He matured on and off the pitch, and found a rhythm in an otherwise horrid relegation-bound 2015-16 season that saw a Player of the Season award, and an unlikely approach from Arsenal.
Former Gunners‘ first-team coach Neil Banfield knew Holding had the potential to become a Premier League defender when he saw his gangly 6ft 2in frame lumber through the doors at London Colney.
He recalls: “We had good scouting reports of him from Steve Rowley. There were a few top clubs interested in Rob at the time.
“But when Steve sees someone he likes and gets his claws in, he will rarely let go until he gets what he wants. He likes a good battle for a player.
“Rob was very highly regarded by Steve and he ranked him right up there with his other finds like Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie and Gael Clichy.
“We instantly saw Rob’s qualities, and as Arsene Wenger would always do, if he sees something in you then you are in and away you go.
“As soon as he walked through the door he looked like a proper centre-back but he could play as well.
“When he first joined he was a bit frail in his actual physique, but he always competed in training against guys much bigger than him and that’s what we loved about him.”
A major knee injury in 2018 damaged Holding’s speedy progress into the first team and Banfield worked hard with him mentally to ensure his head did not drop.
Banfield, who is now first-team coach at QPR, said: “Now he has filled out, but he isn’t all brawn and no brains. He is so inquisitive.
“He would pester Steve Bould constantly to learn off him. He would always ask about opposition players.”
Banfield added: “He needs a good run of games with Arsenal to stand up and say to Mikel Arteta: ‘I will be your first-choice centre-half’.
“And once he gets that run, he should be pushing for an England call-up. It is just up to him whether he takes that chance.”
