Ahead of the Premier League kick-off this weekend, Jurrien Timber is keen to enjoy everything surrounding his first season in England, especially now he is playing for his boyhood club.
The summer recruit from Ajax has impressed many with his pre-season displays as he continues to gel with his new teammates, and he hopes he’s done enough to earn a spot in Mikel Arteta’s starting XI when Nottingham Forest come to north London on Saturday.
He admits that would see him fulfil a childhood dream of representing us at Emirates Stadium, which he hopes would be the first highlight of many over the coming months as he looks forward to playing in the biggest league in the world week in, week out.
Before the start of the campaign, he said: “I’m excited, and curious about the Premier League. I’m also excited to play in the Emirates and at different stadiums.
“I’ve settled in pretty good. The club make it easy and the people here are helping me really, well and my teammate too.
“[Working under Mikel Arteta] has been really good, it’s also been intense! They expect a lot from you at this club which is good, and I think it makes you better. The training makes you better and also your teammates at the competition here, that all is really good.”
Sunday saw Jurrien make his official Gunners debut against Manchester City at Wembley, and ended with him lifting the Community Shield to start his time in north London with a bang.
He feels that victory over a side that won the Treble last season is a huge boost for everyone at the club as we aim to wrestle some of the biggest prizes off Pep Guardiola’s team this term.
Reflecting on our last outing, he said: “I think it gives us a lot of confidence. We can compete with them and everyone saw that, against one of the biggest teams in the world, if not the biggest. It doesn’t say everything, but it says a lot.
“The expectations are high, which is good for a club like Arsenal, so let's aim for the highest possible things and we’ll see at the end of the season where we’re standing.”
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