Defender: I really wanted to come back to Arsenal

The appeal of being an Arsenal player is so hard to resist that one of the Gunners’ former loanees has revealed he always wanted to return to his parent club.

Arsene Wenger has maintained an impressive track record of developing young players at the club during his 20-year reign.

One of the players still looking to make a name under the Frenchman is Carl Jenkinson who spent almost two seasons on loan at West Ham.

The 24-year-old became an instant favourite for the Hammers during his first year at Upton Park but Jenkinson has revealed he never aimed to make the move permanent despite West Ham’s reported interest in buying him for good at one point.

“Arsenal is my club,” Jenkinson told the club’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.

“I guess I was proving that I can play at this level, or trying to, while I was out on loan.

“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.”