Arsenal captain Thomas Vermaelen has revealed that despite being second-fiddle to Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker, he still wants to remain at the club and fight for his place in the starting XI.
The Belgium was dropped at the end of last season after a string of below-par performances, and once Koscielny came in for him, The Gunners went on an incredible winning streak and conceded hardly anything.
However, due to Mertesacker dropping out with the flu, Vermaelen made his return to the first team at Old Trafford yesterday and after the game he revealed his intentions of staying put, despite finding first-team football hard to come by.
“I’m still confident I can play for this club,” he said.
“I keep reading stories that I want to leave. But that’s not the case. I’m still focused on the team. I am always positive.
“In any case, it is not about my situation. It’s what the team do and I am really happy that we’re top of the league.”
Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt
