Former Arsenal defender and boyhood fan Carl Jenkinson has opened up on some of the difficult periods he had at the club.
The right-back, who represented England and Finland, joined Arsene Wenger’s side as somewhat of an unknown in 2011 after making just eight senior appearances for Charlton Athletic.
Jenkinson joined Arsenal at a transitional period for the team and ended up being thrusted straight into the team unexpectedly after Johan Djourou picked up an injury during the Champions League qualifier against Udinese.
The greatest spell of his career came in 2012, when a solid string of performances saw him earn an England call-up from Roy Hodgson, appearing as a substitute against Sweden when Zlatan scored that goal.
Carl Jenkinson’s lowest moment still a blur
Speaking to Arseblog, Jenkinson admitted that the day Arsenal lost 8-2 to Manchester United in just his second Premier League appearance was the darkest day of his footballing career. It was early in the season and resulted in Arsene Wenger being sent to the stands.
“It’s my lowest moment in football. When I look back at it, it’s still a bit of a blur,” he said.
Although the game was all but over early on, Jenkinson had just assisted Robin van Persie, only to be sent off a couple of minutes later in the second half.
“The disappointment, the pain, as a team, as an individual you feel when results like that occur, in games of that magnitude, it lives with you for a long time. I probably struggle to talk about it really. It was such a sad day, you feel like you let a lot of people down.
“It’s something I had to put to bed very quickly because at that moment, it was either sink or swim,” Jenkinson said.
The reaction to the Old Trafford defeat
The board reacted swiftly to the defeat, signing five players over the span of 48 hours. Park Chu-Young, André Santos and Yossi Benayoun didn’t exactly set the world alight at the Emirates, but Mikel Arteta and Per Mertesacker are still among the leaders at Arsenal to this day.
After leaving Everton as a fan favourite, Arteta highlighted Everton’s spirit as ‘the best in football’, before admitting that this opportunity was too good to pass up.
“I am 29 years old so I haven’t got much time left to take a chance like this one. I think I have done my best for Everton,” he said in a BBC interview.
As for Jenkinson, he didn’t fulfil the potential many hoped he would, going on to earn 41 caps for Arsenal. Injuries and Bacary Sagna put paid to his chances of cementing a spot in the team.
Known for having a shrine of Arsenal posters on his bedroom wall, he still holds his Arsenal memories close to his heart.
“I was so sad that it had come to an end. I needed a bit of time to get over the fact that I wasn’t a player anymore. I think I just needed a little bit of time to become a fan again. I follow the games like I always used to and me and my dad got a season ticket back,” Jenkinson said.
He’s currently out of contract after two years playing with Newcastle Jets in Australia, but is keen to keep playing.
Jenkinson is also studying strength and conditioning with views to potentially coaching football himself.
“It’s the best job in the world and I’m nowhere near ready to stop playing. I have had some interest from a couple of clubs, but they haven’t quite been what I’m seeing for myself, let’s say right now. Time will tell with that.”
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