Hector Bellerin advises latest first-team graduate Reiss Nelson about adapting to new wing-back role

Hector Bellerin has backed recent first-team graduate Reiss Nelson to have a great career if he keeps his feet on the ground and continues the hard work.

Nelson is the latest to step up from the Arsenal youth setup and impress with the senior squad and is now becoming a regular feature in Arsene Wenger's cup competition squads.

The 17-year-old impressed the manager during Arsenal's pre-season tour of Australia and China, which has led to the manager including him in the Europa League and EFL Cup squads thus far. Nelson has made seven senior appearances thus far and is likely to be involved when the Gunners take on FC Cologne in the Europa League on Thursday (23 November).

Nelson is a regular with the Arsenal Under-23 side where he is deployed in his preferred left-wing or attacking midfield position. However in the senior team, Wenger has been playing as a right-wing back, similar to the one Bellerin plays in the Premier League team.

The Spaniard is no stranger to this adaptation as he was a winger when he joined the club as a 16-year-old from Barcelona. He was converted to a full back during his days with the youth team and is now one of the top right backs in the English top-flight.

Bellerin is confident that Nelson can progress in his new position even though in the long-term he is likely to play higher up the pitch. The Spain international has advised the England U19 international to learn from his more experienced colleagues, as he believes it is the best way to improve, especially in defensive areas, owing to Nelson being an offensive minded player.

"Reiss is one of the players who, since they've stepped on to the first-team training pitch, has shown that there's something quite different about him," Bellerin told Arsenal's official site.

"He's got a great attitude, he's got a great style of play and is someone who, when he goes to the under-23s now, he will go and score every single week. He's someone who we're really happy to have. When you compete against teams in the Europa League and you're able to adapt from a No 10 role to a wing-back role, I think that's remarkable at that age.

"When you come from an attacking role and you're put in a position to defend, I think the most important thing to do is listen to the players around you, especially when he's got the opportunity to play alongside people like Mathieu Debuchy who have played at the top level for a long time," the 22-year-old Spaniard explained.

"It's about listening to them, communicating with them and asking questions. For any player who changes position, I think that's the most important thing. Then when he gets into those situations, is comfortable and can get at the other end of the pitch, just let it flow in the same way he does for the under-23s, and create chances like he does."