Arsene Wenger believes Wojciech Szczesny did the right thing committing his future to Arsenal and challenged the Pole to become a goalkeeper of historic importance to the club.
Praising the 23-year-old’s upturn in form since being dropped in March, the manager bracketed the stopper with Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere as another successful example of the Gunners educating and promoting young talent.
“He has already a vast experience,” Wenger told Arsenal Player ahead of Saturday’s trip to Cardiff.
“That’s why I think it’s very good news for the Club that he has extended his contract. But rightly so as well because this Club has given him a huge chance at a very young age – and that is not common at in the top, top clubs.
“I would like to give credit to our education system as well because he has been educated here, he has been given a chance here so that is quite faithful to the values that we have at our club. You speak of Wilshere, you speak of Ramsey and I think they are together exactly the same.”
“Szczesny can be one of the best,” continued the Frenchman.
“What I am sure is that he has the potential to be a historical goalkeeper for Arsenal Football Club. That will depend on how much he will continue to focus, to have the desire to be better, to have the desire to put the hard work in.
“If you look around at different clubs you see how quickly a goalkeeper can lose confidence, how quickly a goalkeeper can lose all his qualities. The level of urgency in this position has to be absolutely 100 per cent.
“He is a very young man. I personally believe his composure is better, his reading of the game is better, his level of concentration is much stronger and that comes out with his numbers. He is still a very young goalkeeper because he’s at an age where other goalkeepers start to play.”
December marks three years since a 20-year-old Szczesny was thrown in the deep end at Old Trafford for his Premier League debut…amazing how time flies.
He impressed that day, but has certainly had plenty of downs as well as ups during his short stint in and around the first team. He won’t forget the League Cup calamity against Birmingham City anytime soon nor the disappointment of trudging off injured at the Camp Nou inside 15 minutes but as Arsene keeps stressing he’s young and has much to look forward to.
Given most keepers (ex-Gunners David Seaman, Pat Jennings and Jens Lehmann included) are able to compete for regular football into their late thirties (and beyond in some cases) he’s got some career ahead of him.
FIRST rate keeper
If he carries on playing in his late 30s for Arsenal, he might well become highest capped Arsenal player?
our szszilling (s)hot stopper for 20 more years!
20?! He’ll be 43. Seaman realised the game was up at 40.
David James was 43 when he finally retired and continually made a fool of himself towards the end.
Burton Albion have just re-signed (admittedly as an emergency measure) a chaps who’s north of 50. Mind being willing and all that…
Yes, Kevin Poole. Isn’t he also one of their goalkeeping coaches?
At 50, I can’t see him being the agile of keepers or have the greatest reflexes…
but are we in any position to judge ??
I’m just over 50 so I’m able to judge. Jumping through the air and landing on the ground hurts at 40 and hurts like fuck at 50, and can break bones as well. Maybe you fare slightly better if you’ve been a goalkeeper for 30 years, but old is still old however you look at it.
Good Luck to Kevin Poole, but I bet it hurts.
even if he quits relatively early at say 35, thats 12 more years of him in charge. Thats a hell of a career
I’m hoping for 15 years of winning keeping, and then we take him on as Confidence Coach.
In Iceland no less
Its amazing how young are entire squad is… Great times to be a gooner!!
It depresses me at the same time though. Being 21 now, I remember being 14 supporting Arsenal hoping to one day play for the club. Now half the players are my age or younger 🙁 It’s good, though!
Zelalem being 16 and that good makes me want to cry.
Wait til the same youngsters have all retired, flopped as managers, and are well into careers as (poor) pundits. Then you’ll know what missing out really feels like 🙁
He’s fucking quality!
He has the talent, and will only get better with time.
Wilshere, Ramsey, Gibbs, Jenko, Szcz.. Ohh to be a gooner
Glad to see that players at our club are loyal to it and too us fans.
Keep up the great work.
I have as much love for him as he has hatred for the spuds
No, you wrong. He loves spuds, really love spuds… being medioker. He love spuds at their proper place. He saw that scenary at Etihad.
Looking forward to Arsenal doing that to them at their own place. It’s all very well them losing 6-0 away, but they need to lose 6-0 at home as well to have a properly balanced season 😉
The big Pole is one of the main pillars of our team. Long may his good form continue. We czczczczertainly have a good keeper
Pole position to be our catalysis in winning the premier league.
I trust him!
I wenger we trust.
When you consider he is the regular starter for a top European side at 23 he is definitely some talent….and this season he is right up there with the top keepers in the EPL
I reckon he’s worth about 6 points already this season by saving goals that an average PL keeper would concede so by the end of the season he’ll have saved us 12-15 points.
COYG We are going to win the league tm
A future captain
hmm… interesting thought… he is certainly commanding and a good communicator… he is also a lot of fun(according to wenger he is the funniest guy in the squad, i guess podolski counts as the craziest), and that would be a great quality to have in a captain…
But then, there is jack wilshere, who almost seems destined to be captain within 5 years time, so szczesny could be a good vice-captain… i guess we will just have to wait and see…
You also have Ramsey, who has already captained his team on the international level. Personally I think he’d make an awesome club captain.
Possibly. I’ve never liked keepers as captains, but thats just a personal thing.
What it does highlight how our team is suddenly full of leaders.
As well as him you have Per, Flamini, Arteta, Jack, Probably Ramsey, maybe Rosicky, and of course that doesn’t include the actualt club captain
While a keeper may be a bit sub-optimum for marshalling the troops ahead (don’t leave your home unguarded, hehehe) he certainly has the pizzaz.
Another thought -plus a neat resolve to our ‘sleeve crisis’- make Flamini captain. He’s got the pedigree, the bark, and the sleeves to make opponents wee their trunks ;•)
He left once, lucky to be back, he is. No way is he a captain of The Arsenal Football Club
A future captain. Get afraid sp*rd
Calm down lads he is average
Keep up. Up to february of last year he was arguably below average – his stats were worse than almunias and i was afraid that he was simply a good template of a keeper without having any substance but then something wonderful happened – he suddenly began to realise his potential and now he is simply the stand out keeper in the league. Last year at this time i wanted Vorm, Mignolet, Begovic – hell even Almuni was digging up trees in the championship. but this year he is playing at almost Seaman, Schmeical levels but easily at a Joe… Read more »
This is your brain on drugs.
You talk shit, pauly bear.
It’s in his nature to be grisly.
Honestly wouldn’t swap him with any other keeper in world football. I hope he continues to make Andy “Get In” Townsend look a cunt for many years to come.
Totally agree.
He’s arsenal, through and through.
Legend in the making.
did Andy Townsend really say that? I’ve always suspected the guy had an unhealthy relationship with his mother…
In the last year, he was saved us numerous and important points.
Name someone of his age that is better at the moment.
Horrible news on Pat Rice. Get well Pat!
That piano video taunting of Sp*rs already secured his place. In the same way as Diaby’s legendary flattening of Terry and to a lesser extent, Cesc’s pizza. Sometimes, it takes more than football.
Good man.
In other news, while our lads will have their feet up (those not smashing doors in, that is), the Spuds will be playing a Swedish team who got relegated last season. On AstroTurf. In minus 8 temperatures. On a Thursday.
Fuck me, those Spuds are just living the European dream.
…in the snow.
Wojciech Szczesny : 10/10 for all the passion, the attitude, and the relentless desire to improve. I can’t wait to see the expression on Chezzer’s face when he lifts the EPL trophy high above those broad shoulders of his.
Poland National Team Manager: idiot/10 for making Southampton’s tapdancing pantomine goalkeeper Artur Boruc their #1 keeper ahead of our Chezzers.
Get well soon pat rice top top gunner
His penalty save against Dortmund must be his greatest moment in an Arsenal shirt!
Scz has been playing well lately even now he has signed new contract a fee weeks ago, the team have & will patch the bad parts of positions what tremendous support coyg
Huge words from Wenger to Szczensny there and well placed too. One of the best keeperd out there and a real Arsenal Fan i see him goalkeeping his way into our record books….
Good times gunners!
top top quality
A team of leaders! Arsenal hasn’t had that for some time now! Go Gunners!
This kids potential is scarey. At 23 years old he is definitely the form keeper of the premier league right now. He is confident in going for the crosses, first rate shot stopper and its clear to all that he has been practicing his kicking game which was his major downfall. Easily could be the greatest keeper in our History if he brings in the titles, and thats saying alot considering Sir David. The thing i love the most about this boy, is that he is clearly a true gooner at heart. The way he mocks the Spuds like no… Read more »
“If you look around at different clubs you see how quickly a goalkeeper can lose confidence, how quickly a goalkeeper can lose all his qualities”
I believe the actual quote was “Joe Hart is shite”