Alex Song knows he must prove himself as an Arsenal player this season.The 19-year-old midfielder has not yet enjoyed any sort of run in the first-team since signing from Bastia two years ago. He spent the second half of last term on loan at Charlton. Despite their relegation, the Cameroonian believes it was a valuable experience and intends to use it to his advantage this term.
"My challenge is to play more this season," he said. "We have a lot of games coming - Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, Carling Cup - so I know there will be opportunities to play. Now I just need to train hard and show the boss I am ready. He always needs to choose two midfielders and two centre backs so when he asks 'Alex are you ready?" I have to be ready to play the game.
"I spent half a season on loan at Charlton. It was good for me to play every week. I played maybe 12 or 13 games. It was bad that the team went down but I am back at Arsenal now. I have played some games in pre-season and I feel OK now. There are no injuries so I need to show the boss that I am ready to play all the time."