Alexis Sanchez has played in the top tiers of Italian and Spanish football but he insists that the Premier League is the hardest.
Alexis has made a strong start to life at Arsenal - he topped the club's Player of the Month and Goal of the Month polls for September - but he is under no illusions about the challenge that English football represents.
The Chile international was part of the Barcelona side that amassed 100 La Liga points 2012/13 but he says he prefers the unpredictability of the Premier League.
"I hate being on the bench. If you take me off it’s like you’re taking the ball off me"
Alexis Sanchez
“Compared to the other leagues I’ve played in, I think this is the hardest and I like it a lot, I really do,” Alexis said.
“Before I signed, people had told me about how Arsenal were a big club with lots of quality players. Now I’m here I look at all the players during training and realise just what fantastic quality they all have.”
Alexis has already demonstrated his own quality on the left, on the right and through the middle for Arsenal, but admits he feels “slightly more comfortable” when he is deployed on the left.
“I can run and cut inside on my left foot, but any position is good for me as long as I’m playing football because I hate being on the bench,” he explained. “If you take me off it’s like you’re taking the ball off me.
“I want to win everything. Looking at the coaches and players we have, with a winning attitude and ambition, we can win absolutely anything.”
Alexis scores against Galatasaray
Alexis has come a long way since teaching himself to play football in an impoverished Chilean city but, despite his rise to stardom, he will always remember his humble beginnings and his unique way of making money all those years ago.
“As I could do somersaults, people would say to me, ‘do a somersault and we’ll give you 50 or 100 Pesos’,” he revealed. “I also used to clean cars.
“My first pair of boots were given to me by the Mayor of Tocopilla after my mum went to speak with him. One day he turned up at my house and just gave me them. I was made up, like a dog with two tails!”
With thanks to Sky Sports
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