Alexis Sanchez: 'My mum is my biggest idol'... Arsenal star reveals how he couldn't have achieved lofty heights without help

Arsenal forward reveals how his mum helped his career

Alexis Sanchez celebrates scoring a second for Arsenal against Reading (Getty Images)

Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez has revealed how the hard work of his mum, Martina, helped him to reach the dizzying heights seen every week at the Emirates.

The 26-year-old, who starred in the World Cup last summer, remembers how he didn't have any football boots as a child growing up in Tocopilla, Chile, until his mum intervened.

"My mum is my biggest idol," he told the Arsenal website. "There was a time when I had no football boots as my mum did not have money to buy a pair for me. I begged for new boots at home, but unfortunately my mum couldn’t pay for them.

"At that time I was the most important player for Arauco, the municipality’s football team. My mum went to Arauco’s city hall to ask for some sort of grant to the town's mayor so I could have a new pair of boots.

Sanchez reveals an 'I love you mum' shirt after scoring against Atletico Madrid in 2013 (Getty Images)

"I wasn’t aware of her efforts until one night at 10pm a delivery van stopped at my doorstep with some brand new boots for me. I put them on straight away and I started playing on the street. I was so happy about that."

Sanchez has not looked back and after making a £35million move to the Emirates in the summer has arguably been Arsenal's best player, scoring 22 goals and adding 11 assists in all competitions.

The No 17 puts it down to settling quickly in his new hometown, London.

“It hasn’t been really easy but so far my spell here is a really positive one,” he explained. “I like the city a lot and I feel really comfortable in the club. Supporters here are very cheerful and enlivening, which is a very nice thing.

“My team-mates are really kind too. My goal now is to take Arsenal as high as possible. I am well adapted to the country and the league. I must keep on learning, though. I want to expand my knowledge of English football in general and Arsenal and my team-mates in particular, but overall I love this league.

“At the end of the day, football was invented in this country, right? I live where football was invented. That makes me really happy.”