Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has revealed that Emmanuel Ebouea s jokes were instrumental in helping him settle down at Arsenal.
a I remember my first training session,a Oxlade-Chamberlain told Arsenal Player. a I think I was just coming back from an ankle injury as well. As I arrived, my first session was with Robin van Persie and Emmanuel Eboue – just the three of us doing passing drills.
a I remember I couldna t even pass the ball more than five yards in the first 10 minutes. Eboue made me feel comfortable and welcome with his jokes and his laughing and I settled into it a little bit more.a
Oxlade-Chamberlain also talked about his development at Arsenal, and how much he feels at home at the club.
a Ita s been a great experience for me, now I feel like this is home.a
a Ia m my own biggest critic – I feel there is a lot more to come from myself but first and foremost Ia m really happy,a he said. a Ita s the first year Ia ve been a regular in the team and Ia ve played quite a lot of games.
a Thata s a positive step forward for me and ita s what I need and what I would have wanted to have happened this year – for me to push on.a
Oxlade-Chamberlain has become a very important part of the Arsenal first team, with very good performances especially this season. Hea s one of the few names that goes on the team sheet without fail, if he is fit. He has developed a strong physique that allows him to power through defences, and at the same time has the quickness and speed to beat his marker, making him a valuable asset in Arsene Wengera s vision of fast attacking football.
Oxlade-Chamberlain has particularly enjoyed his partnership with Alexis Sanchez in the Arsenal frontline, with both players swapping sides with perfect understanding throughout the season. Hea s been contributing to Arsenala s cause, and fans would hope that the other players like Jack Wilshere could take a cue from him and put in more exemplary performances. Wilshere, in particular, would be raring to come back from his long injury to show people that he has it in him to realise his potential and not be another wasted talent.
Arsenal fans would be hoping that Oxlade-Chamberlain comes back to fitness, with the most important part of the season now upon the team. Any slip-ups now would prove to be very costly, and they would definitely need the Ox to be firing on all cylinders.