Arsenal defender Carl Jenkinson has admitted that he feels more settled this season after a difficult start to life at the Emirates last season.
Arsene Wenger signed the youngster from Charlton Athletic in June 2011 for a fee thought to be around the £1 million mark. To many people’s surprise including Jenkinson’s, the 20-year-old was selected for Arsenal’s home and away ties against Udinese in the Gunner’s Champions League play-off last season, just eight months after making his debut in League One for the Addicks.
Jenkinson told Arsenal’s official club website that he initially found the step up to the Premier League tough going, “Coming here last year I felt a bit blown away with everything. This year I’ve come back and felt like one of the boys. It was different this year and it was nice because you like to feel more comfortable and part of things. I’m happy with things at the moment and hopefully we just move on from here.”
The right-back has started every game for the Gunners so far this season in place for the injured Bacary Sagna. Jenkinson is part of a defence that has yet to concede a goal in the Premier League. This is a sharp contrast to the start of Arsenal’s campaign last season, where they went into the international break on the back of an 8-2 defeat away at Manchester United. Jenkinson says he doesn’t look back on the day with fond memories, “Old Trafford was a difficult day for me, and a difficult day for the club. It wasn’t nice but I felt like a learnt a lot from the game.”
The Arsenal defender admits that he wants to assert himself as first-choice right-back at the club, “My ambition for my whole career is to play for this football club. I want to be good enough and make my mark here. I won’t happy until I’m playing week-in, week-out. That’s what I want to achieve.”
