Campbell - How I improved in England

By Lloyd Webb

Joel Campbell says the intensity of Premier League football has made him a better player.

The Costa Rica international arrived at Arsenal in 2011 from Deportivo Saprissa and, following loan spells with Lorient, Real Betis, Olympiacos and Villarreal, has impressed in his first full season in England.

Campbell has scored four times this term and often caught the eye, but he says Premier League football has been a big test for him.

“It is really intense and when I thought about playing in England, I knew that the football here would challenge me a lot and that it would be both very fast and technical,” he told Arsenal Player.

“It is not harder than I expected. It is a competitive league, the games are really end-to-end, it is really fast and I'm really happy to be part of Arsenal and playing in the Premier League.

“You have to be very committed to the team, you have to have quality and you need to give your all. Pressure is always going to be there, and even more so at a club like Arsenal that is always fighting to achieve things.

“We feel the pressure to win every game, which isn't a bad thing, and when you're a big team there is pressure from all sources - social media, the fans and from within the club. There is always going to be pressure on the team to be the best.”