Cruise – Why a loan move appeals to me

By Giuseppe Muro
 
Thomas Cruise has his sights set on a first-team place this season, but the 19 year-old accepts that he may have to go on loan to gain valuable experience.

Islington-born Cruise, who made his senior Arsenal debut in a Champions League group match at Olympiacos last December, continued his steady progress with an impressive stint for England at this summer’s European Under-19 Championships in France.

Cruise featured for the Reserves in their opening game of the 2010/11 season but intends to push himself as much as possible in the months to come. That could result in a loan move, though the young defender does not want to surrender his footballing principles.

“I’d like to go out on loan this season and get experience, something which would be a big benefit for me,” Cruise told Arsenal.com.
 
“If the chance arises, I’d like to move to a team that likes to play a good passing game. Also, as well as defence, I’d like to play in midfield where you see a lot of the ball and are more involved.

“Obviously I’d like to get into the Carling Cup squad but if I don’t get that chance, I’ll happily go on loan.
 
“Then hopefully when I come back I could get involved in the first team. But I haven’t spoken to the manager yet.”
 
Cruise, who joined the club as a scholar in the summer of 2007, believes his time away with England was invaluable for his development. He played a key role in the Young Lions’ progress to the Semi-Final stage where they were beaten by Spain.
 
“Playing against the top international teams in the world was great,” he said.
 
“I played in quite a few positions out there as well, which was nice. I definitely took something out of the experience. Unfortunately we didn’t do enough to get to the Final but I learned a lot.”
 
He even managed to score a rare goal in the opening game of the tournament against Austria, and remembers it well. “I haven’t scored for years, it’s been ages. It was a great feeling,” smiled Cruise.

[Friday, September 03, 2010]

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