Carl Jenkinson aiming to secure Arsenal starting spot following injury
Arsenal defender Carl Jenkinson is determined to prove he is good enough for the Gunners after making his comeback from a long-term injury.
Jenkinson, 24, who has been an Arsenal fan since childhood, played 90 minutes in the 2-0 EFL Cup win over Reading on Tuesday -- his first match since tearing knee ligaments in January. It was also his first Arsenal appearance in 898 days after spending the last two seasons on loan at West Ham.
And while he will struggle to displace Hector Bellerin as Arsenal's starting right-back and also faces competition from Mathieu Debuchy for the backup role, Jenkinson is confident he belongs in the squad.
"Arsenal is my club," Jenkinson told Arsenal's official website. "I went out on loan for a couple of years but I always thought I wanted to perform so I can come back here, I wanted to be good enough and I still want to be good enough to play here."
898 days... It's been a long time coming. Today was a good day. Thanks for the great reception, it's good to be home. #afc
A photo posted by Carl Jenkinson (@carljenkinson) on
Jenkinson became a regular starter at West Ham, but rather than look for another loan move he said he is only concentrating on fighting for a chance at the Emirates.
"My focus is just on here at the moment. I've got my foot in the door, I've played [against Reading] and hopefully I play in the next round and get some opportunities here," Jenkinson told The Sun. "January is a long way away -- well, it's not too far, but long enough! I'll just concentrate on what I'm doing now and focus on contributing when I get opportunities here.
"Hector has been fantastic so far and he rightly deserves to be playing regularly. He's been brilliant. It's up to me -- when I get chances -- to play as well as I can."
Jenkinson had an early chance to score against Reading but saw his shot saved. He played well throughout, though, and was praised by manager Arsene Wenger after the game.
"You could see he is well prepared, he is a very professional guy," Wenger said. "He had no cramps, nothing, and he did last the whole game so overall that's fantastic for him."
Jenkinson said he progressed a lot during his time at West Ham and showed he can be a regular in the Premier League.
"I guess I was proving that I can play at this level, or trying to, while I was out on loan," he said. "I loved my time at West Ham, I played a lot of football and it was fantastic for me. It's a great club and I enjoyed every minute I had there, but it is great for me to be back here now.
"Arsenal is my club and it is an honour every time I pull on the shirt."
