Arsenal

Calum Chambers "happy" to fight for Arsenal starting role

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 15 November 2015

Calum Chambers says that he is "not down" following his lack of action for Arsenal this season, and is simply happy to keep learning from his experienced teammates.

Arsenal defender Calum Chambers has insisted that a lack of playing time this season has not left him feeling down, but instead even hungrier to force his way into the first-team picture.

The 20-year-old joined the Gunners from Southampton in a £20m deal in July 2014, quickly adapting to life at the Emirates Stadium to make 38 appearances for the club and also earn an England debut.

Chambers has been used more sparingly since certain key players returned from injury, however, which has seen him used just six times so far this season, with half of those run-outs coming from the bench.

Despite the relative lack of action, the Englishman is happy to continue fighting for his place, telling the Daily Mail: "I feel I have learned so much over the last two years and I am happy. I don't think it happened too quickly. It just happened very quickly.

"It was a whirlwind start but I took it game by game and I enjoyed it. At the moment, I have changed position to centre-back. I'm not getting so much game time but I am still working in training and trying to fight for my place. I'm not down or anything. When you are not in the team, you have to prepare for games as if you are in.

"You have to do everything the same. In training, Per [Mertesacker] always gives me advice. Laurent [Koscielny] is the same. I feel I can go up to them and ask them anything and learn from them. I watch them in games all the time, learning and it is helping me get better and better."

Chambers, who was denied a loan move in the summer, helped England Under-21s keep a clean sheet in their goalless draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Thursday afternoon.