'She's a special player for the group'

It's clear to see that Manuela Zinsberger is one of the most popular characters in our dressing room.

The Austria goalkeeper is loved by her team-mates and coaching staff alike, and was rewarded for her recent displays with a new long-term contract this week.

But, as Joe Montemurro revealed, Zinsberger's presence is just as important off the pitch as it is on it.

"It's great to have Manu," our head coach told Arsenal Media. "We brought her in as a young goalkeeper with a lot of international experience, and obviously she'd played at the top level with Bayern.

"To be able to work with her and keep her development going, and be part of what we're trying to build, is really exciting. She's a special player for the group, too.

"She's a modern goalkeeper who's very, very good with her feet. She suits her style from a football perspective but it's the way she is, her attitude, her behaviour, just her great nature. It's really important to the group and we love having her around.

" One of the reasons why we went for the age scenario is because we want our goalkeeper to be here for a long time. It's an important part of building a sustainable squad, having stability in that area. For us it was really, really important and we're happy to have her here for another few years."