Carl Jenkinson was something of a cult hero during his time at Arsenal, but at 32, his career has not gone as expected.
The right-back is now a free agent, after a spell in Australia recently came to an end, and he is yet to sign for a new club.
Jenkinson was a very promising right-back when he broke into the Charlton team, and a few good games was enough to earn him a move to Arsenal, with Arsene Wenger spending £1m to sign him in 2011.
The defender was in and out of the team, but could never nail down a place as a starter before departing permanently in 2019, and he failed to make the grade at Nottingham Forest before moving to Australia.
Jenkinson has now admitted that his move to Arsenal came too early on in his career, but he also has no regrets at how his time at the Emirates panned out.
Why Carl Jenkinson joined Arsenal at the ‘wrong’ time
Speaking to Ben Foster on the Fozcast, Jenkinson opened up on his move to Arsenal, and claimed that whilst it was probably too early in his career, he is grateful that he had the opportunity to play for his boyhood club.
“There could easily be an argument for that [the move coming too early] right, but the the truth of it was that I got in the team [at Charlton], I started playing well, and clubs would become interested,” he explained.
“There were more and more coming to each game, then I heard Arsenal are interested and then whether it was too soon or it was not too soon, or I wasn’t ready to make that step up, I’m never saying no.
“They were my boyhood club as well, I was never going to say ‘Sorry Arsene, I’m not ready yet, come back next year’, you know what I mean?
“You’re jumping at it, you’re absolutely jumping at it. When I look back now, like it was it was a massive jump, and yeah maybe right club, wrong time, but I didn’t care that it was the wrong time.
“I wanted to go and play for Arsenal and have a crack, and if it took a bit of time to settle into that and to feel a part of things and feel like I can play there and I belong there, then so be it.”
Carl Jenkinson lived the dream of every Arsenal fan
Although his time at Arsenal was mixed when it came to his performances, Jenkinson became a cult hero given his diehard support for the club.
The right-back made 70 appearances for Arsenal, and was part of the squad which won the 2014 and 2017 FA Cups.
Jenkinson grew up as an Arsenal fan, and represented the club in the Champions League, whilst also winning silverware.
Whilst his move was perhaps not the best decision for his career at the time, it earned him the chance to play for Arsenal, and he has no regrets about how it ended up.
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