Former Arsenal defender has now reflected on his time at the club.
Carl Jenkinson joined Arsenal in the summer of 2011, arriving from Charlton Athletic.
The right-back made his debut for the Gunners in a Champions League qualifying round clash not long after his arrival. Soon afterwards, he started in the infamous 8-2 defeat against Manchester United.
In the wake of that harrowing defeat against the Red Devils, Arsene Wenger moved quickly in the transfer window, with a number of new players being brought in to the Emirates Stadium, including Mikel Arteta.
In his first season at Arsenal, Jenkinson made 14 appearances across all competitions. He remained on the books at Arsenal until 2019, with spells in the side broken up by injuries and loan stints with West Ham United and Birmingham City.
His most successful spell with the Gunners came between 2012 and 2014. Over the course of the two campaigns in that period, the full-back made 43 appearances and scored the only goal of his Arsenal career. In 2014, he played his part in the Gunners’ run to FA Cup glory. He also received international recognition. Jenkinson picked up his one and only England cap in a friendly against Sweden in 2012.
Despite his limitations as a player, Jenkinson was a popular figure amongst the Arsenal fans due to his obvious love for the club. The 31-year-old grew up supporting the Gunners.
Carl Jenkinson recalls Arsenal exit:
Now plying his trade with Newcastle Jets in Australia, Jenkinson has opened up about what representing Arsenal meant to him, and how leaving the club was a painful process for him.
In a recent interview with The Athletic, Jenkinson revealed, “It was difficult. 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. It took a while but now I’m safely back in that bracket. And I love it: I follow the games like I always used to, and me and my dad got a season ticket back. It means when I come back to England, I can go with the old man again. It’s nice. I’m at a point now where I’m enjoying being a fan again. That’s what I always was before. And that’s what I’ll always be from now on.”
“It was hard to leave Arsenal in the end, and I never really wanted to.”
Jenkinson’s career reflects a difficult period in the club’s recent history, when costs incurred by the move away from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium saw Arsenal’s spending power in the transfer market severely restricted.
His story, though, is also one that no supporter can fail to be enamoured by. Jenkinson was a lifelong Arsenal fan who got to play for the club, and played for them like a fan would, with his heart on his sleeve. Jenkinson lived a dream harboured by everyone who has ever stood in the stands.
Arsenal fans will be heartened to hear that Jenksinson now looks back on his time as player for the club with pride, and is now fully behind Arteta’s side.
