NEW Arsenal goalkeeper Alex Runarsson admits his Emirates transfer was a gamble.
The Icelandic ace, 25, signed for Mikel Arteta’s side from Dijon as a replacement for Aston Villa-bound Emi Martinez.
Alex Runarsson admits joining Arsenal to be No2 was a riskCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Runarsson is yet to feature in the Premier League and has played just two Europa League matches.
Bernd Leno is Arsenal’s No1 and looks set to remain so for the immediate future.
That means Runarsson will have to be content with warming the bench unless the German is hit by injury.
But Arsenal’s No2 is well aware of the risk he’s taken by moving to London.
And Runarsson adds his time with the Gunners will either make or break his professional career.
The stopper said: “As a professional footballer, you improve when you are put in difficult conditions and playing in this kind of pressure will either make you or break you.
“But I definitely like the challenge. It’s one of the big reasons that I joined because I knew it would help me improve as a football player.
“It doesn’t matter what position you play. I think maybe as a goalkeeper it is a little bit different, but you definitely have to have the mentality that you want to push to become number one.
“If it happens or not, if it happens in one week, one month or one year, that always has to be your mentality – because otherwise you’re in the wrong profession I think. I have to have this mentality that I can play and I have to believe it and show it.
”I think the shock will be more when the fans will be back in the stadium. There will be 2,000 fans back in the stadium tomorrow and that’s fantastic.
“But I think the biggest shock will be when the stadiums are full again because then I think there will be more intensity and more speed.
“In training, I can definitely notice everything is at a higher pace. Training here is like a game and that’s been a big change, something to get used to. I think, as far as games go, it’s going to be even more intense with the fans coming back.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
