Monday 15 September 2014 10:28, UK
Carl Jenkinson hopes his West Ham United loan can help him to earn an England recall and impress the coaching staff at Arsenal.
The 22-year-old full-back is to spend the 2014/15 campaign at Upton Park after crossing the capital over the summer in an effort to find regular game time.
He believes that minutes in the Premier League will allow him to show his true colours and force his way back into international contention, with a solitary senior cap earned in a friendly date with Sweden back in November 2012.
There are a few boys like myself, Kyle Walker, Calum Chambers, Nathan Clyne, a few young right-backs out there. This has to be the season where we stamp our authority down.
Jenkinson told the Daily Mirror: “A few of the England boys have retired in the past couple of months. Glen Johnson is in his 30s now. I am not sure how much longer he will play international football for.
“After that, there are a few boys like myself, Kyle Walker, Calum Chambers, Nathan Clyne, a few young right-backs out there. This has to be the season where we stamp our authority down.
"The position is there for the taking. It’s up to us all to do the business. It won’t be easy, of course, but I, as much as any of those boys, want to be in that England squad. I believe I am capable of it.”
While hoping to catch the eye of Roy Hodgson, Jenkinson is also eager to prove to Arsene Wenger that he is deserving of a long-term future at Emirates Stadium – with the former Charlton Athletic defender refusing to buy into the belief that Mathieu Debuchy’s arrival will force him through the exits.
He added: “If you asked me that a few years ago, I would have agreed with you, but in the past few seasons there has been a push for some English players. Luke Shaw and Adam Lallana have been signed for big money.
“The demand for English players is as high as it has been for a while. That has to be the case if the England team is going to be successful, we have to have faith in our own players and that is starting to happen more now.
“Nobody can deny we have a lot of talented youngsters coming through and it’s important for managers to have faith in them and play them.
“I wouldn’t say [signing Debuchy] knocks me. I’ve never been someone who gets too disheartened about stuff. I’m a fighter and at the end of the day I’ve got a great opportunity now to prove myself at a club like West Ham.
You don’t play for Arsenal as many times he did, then get a move to Barcelona unless you are a top player. So it was a real coup for the club to get him in and it shows the direction West Ham are going in.
“That’s when I get the best out of myself, when I am playing regular first-team football. When I’ve done that I’ve got a call-up for England at 20 years old. You don’t achieve that unless you are doing something right.
“I just need to get back to that sort of form and I just need a run of games because that’s something that I have struggled to come by at Arsenal.”
Jenkinson believes West Ham will offer the perfect stage on which to showcase his talents, with Sam Allardyce having recruited well to bring in the likes of former Arsenal midfielder Alex Song.
He added: “I played with Alex for a couple of seasons. Everyone who has seen him play knows about him and knows he is a very good player.
“You don’t play for Arsenal as many times he did, then get a move to Barcelona unless you are a top player. So it was a real coup for the club to get him in and it shows the direction West Ham are going in.
"We’ve got a very strong team. We’ve got a few injuries but if we can get them back then our squad is strong.”
