Interview

'In my heart and mind... this is the club for me'

Joe Willock has committed his long-term future to the club.

The 20-year-old has signed a new contract and expressed his delight at extending his stay in north London with his boyhood club.

We spoke to Joe after he signed the paperwork - and this is what he said:

Congratulations Joe, you've just signed your new contract. How does it feel to extend your stay at Arsenal?

To be at this club is amazing feeling and I've always wanted to play for the Arsenal first team. Now I'm doing that, since the age of four and a half, it's always been my dream. And to sign a new contract today is a brilliant feeling for me and my family.

 

What is it about Arsenal that makes you feel so at home and makes you know that this is the right place for you to continue your development? 

As a young boy growing up through the academy, I've always wanted to play at the Emirates and play in front of the fans and stuff. So to do it, it's only right in my heart and my mind to know that this is the right club for me. And to carry on my own future here is brilliant.

 

Like you said, you've been here for as long as you can remember. So just how encouraging is it for you that Unai Emery and the club are willing to take a chance on youngsters who have progressed through our academy?

Yeah, as you see, the manager has put a lot of faith in not just in me but in a lot of youngsters so far already this season. It's so encouraging. In training every day he is encouraging us and to play in front of the fans with my best friends is amazing and I'm just trying to play my best and continue every day.

 

And on the pitch, you've had a great start to the season. Just how much more is there to come from you?

I need to continue working hard and striving to play at my best. I feel like I can add more goals to my game and more assists and keep on affecting the game in the best way I can and helping us to win. So yeah, I feel like I can score more goals.

 

Looking forward to the rest of the season, just what targets have you set yourself? 

Obviously, I always want to be playing week in, week out in the first team and showing what I can do. So that's my main goal really, to break into the first team and establish myself and play week in, week out and show the fans what I can do.