Lukas Podolski is happy with his first season at Arsenal but he wants to cap it with a guarantee of Champions League football next term.
The German forward has scored 13 goals in his maiden Premier League campaign, but injury and the form of others have kept him out of the starting line-up for almost two months.
Now fit and firing, Podolski is determined to make an impact in the season's closing stages.
He told the official matchday programme: "I did well earlier in the season, then had an injury which put me out for a few weeks, but now I’m back and hope to play a big part in the final run of matches. But it is the coach’s decision, of course.
"Overall I am happy. You must remember I came from a team [Cologne] that was going down, and it wasn’t so easy to come straight to a big club and be strong. But I believe I have the quality to play in every game here and think I have done well until now.
"I’ve scored some goals and made assists, so I am content. But I’ll be happiest if we can make the Champions League, because every player - and every team - wants to play at that level."
Podolski's home nation is much vaunted for its vibrant fan culture, but the attacker, who has become a big favourite among the Gunners faithful for his outgoing nature, says that English supporters have made a big impression on him.
He said: "I enjoy it here. The supporters in England are very good - the Arsenal fans of course, but the others too. Everywhere I go they’re happy, funny and friendly. I feel very good here, both in the stadium and out of it.
"At away matches, I see our away support, three or four thousand people, and the atmosphere they make - I feel proud of them, and of the Club.
"It is important to talk to them and I like writing a few things on Twitter, taking photos, things like that. I have fun and hopefully people enjoy it."
Copyright 2024 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.
