Home Football Arsene Wenger still admires Nicklas Bendtner

Arsene Wenger still admires Nicklas Bendtner

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Arsenal will face a former forward who spent 10 years at the Emirates tonight, when they play Nottingham Forest in the EFL Cup Third Round.

Bendtner is now star striker at Championship side Nottingham Forest and will face his former club in the EFL Cup tie this evening.

He was in no means a fans favourite after arriving at the Gunners in 2004 but the Denmark international only left 10 years later in 2014.

The target man only managed to score 24 Premier League goals in 108 appearances under manager Arsene Wenger.

This resulted in the Dane being loaned out to Birmingham City, Sunderland and Juventus during his Arsenal career.

Now supporters of the North London club know why Bendtner remained for 10 years, and that was because of Wenger.

The Arsenal gaffer of 20 years always had faith in Bendtner and gave him countless chances. Speaking ahead of tonight’s trip to the City Ground, Wenger says that he still is a keen admirer of the striker he brought to the club as a 16-year-old.

“Sometimes when you are a player of his quality, you just need an opportunity. We know he is a top-quality player but he needs to play.” Wenger told Arsenal.com.

“He was very young [when I first saw him], 16 or 17 years old and I thought he was very interesting because he has a good technique, good stature, good pace, good in the air, good link play – he had it all in the locker.

“He had good periods in his career, and then periods when it went less well for him. He could explain it better as to how he assesses his career because he is an honest guy.

“When makes mistakes, he is big enough to say it is his fault. Sometimes it was not his fault but you felt he had it all in the locker to make a fantastic career.” he added.

Continuingly, the veteran Frenchman said: “The perception people have of him is that he is overconfident but I don’t think so. He was sometimes impatient when he was with us. Sometimes he was disappointed not to get the chance and you can understand that.

“It is difficult – I am not here to judge people. Sometimes you manage to get it, and sometimes we do not find the key. Then you have to leave the key to someone else who has the potential to find it.

“Of he has a point to prove. He’s playing at a level he is not used to. But he did start his career at this level at Birmingham City with Steve Bruce, where he did very well. Nicklas is humble enough and focused enough to show he can fight again.”

By Drew Darbyshire (@DarbySports)

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