BREAKING: Arsenal make first team announcement as former Man Utd ace joins Mikel Arteta

Arsenal have confirmed that former Manchester United star Gabriel Heinze has joined Mikel Arteta's coaching staff as a first team coach.

Heinze, who played for a number of top European clubs including Real Madrid, PSG and Marseille, has held previous coaching positions at Godoy Cruz in Argentina and Atalanta United in the MLS. His last job was as head coach of Newell's Old Boys, where his playing career began.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Arsenalsaid: "We are delighted to announce the appointment of Gabriel Heinze to our coaching staff as men’s first team coach.

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"Heinze, a former Argentina international, brings a wealth of playing and coaching experience to the club. We are excited with the introduction of Gabriel to our men’s first-team coaching staff, and welcome him and his family to Arsenal."

Heinze joins Albert Stuivenberg, Nico Jover and goalkeeping coach Inaki Cana as part of Arteta’s coaching team. The 47-year-old joins following the departure of former assistant Carlos Cuesta, who was announced as the new head coach of Serie A team Parma last month.

Arteta and Heinze were teammates while the pair were at PSG in 2001 and the Spaniard has previously described the former defender as an "inspiration". "[Mauricio] Pochettino and Heinze, those two were next to me all the time [at PSG], behind me, and they were guiding me in everything I had to do in my professional life, how I had to understand the game and they were inspirational to me," Arteta previously said.