Cazorla - Fans have been spectacular

Santi Cazorla says the "spectacular" Arsenal fans have played their part in making his first season in England a success.

The Spain international has contributed 11 goals and nine assists, emerging as arguably the most creative force in Arsene Wenger's side since signing from Malaga last summer.

Cazorla's relationship with the fans is even closer now he is on Twitter and he feels his acclimatisation would have taken longer without their support.

"Yes, I think I’ve been lucky in that regard," Cazorla told Arsenal Player. "For any footballer, it’s the most important thing, to make the people who support you happy and give back to them on the pitch.

"Ultimately, I want to do the job to the best of my ability and for them to enjoy watching Arsenal, that they’re happy with my work. From the first minute I arrived, the support they’ve given me has been spectacular. I can’t praise the fans highly enough and hope to give them a lot of success in the future, and that we can enjoy it all together.

"I haven't been on Twitter for long and I’m a bit lost in the social media side of things but, little by little, it’s important to be closer to the fans. I think it’s good too to show the day-to-day life of a footballer, to give information."

You don't need to watch Cazorla for long to appreciate how quickly he has adapted to the relative rough-and-tumble of English football. The former La Liga star was prepared for a more physical style of football but he has been surprised by one thing - the atmosphere.

"I think if there’s anything that particularly marks the Premier League apart it’s the stadiums, the atmosphere of the supporters, the respect for the players," he said.

"Ultimately, it’s quite different to Spain in terms of the times of matches, adapting to a different schedule, the excitement people here have for football, the kids. It’s a spectacle and it’s one of the things that has most surprised me and that I’ve most enjoyed."