Arsenal’s young star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is relishing the opportunity he has next season to improve and play a stronger role in the campaign for the Gunners, after a topsy turvy first two years at the club, since joining from Southampton.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has been one of the brightest sparks in the Arsenal squad, and an exciting feature for the England national side. One could witness an excitement in the voices of the Arsenal supporters that has not been seen for a while, whenever Arsene Wenger chose to bring on the young man, and change the game in his favor.

The 19-year old has progressed well ever since he moved from Southampton. In his debut season, his appearances were limited to cameos off the bench, but this season he made 33 appearances in all competitions, scoring 2 goals. Lack of goals has been a problem for the forward, but his burst of pace, combined with his tenacity to get into the box and create chances has been encouraging for the Arsenal supporters. However, getting international recognition and playing for the England side is a big step for the youngster, and he sure has a bright future ahead of him.

The youngster recently appeared in England’s two friendlies against the Republic of Ireland and Brazil, with the latter fixture being an emotional affair for the player. Marc Chamberlain, father of Oxlade-Chamberlain, scored against Brazil in 1984 in a famous England win against the Brazilians on their own turf. Pressure was on young Alex to repeat the feat, and so he did, scoring a spectacular goal in England’s 2-2 draw at the newly developed Maracana Stadium in Brazil.

With the FIFA World Cup taking place next year, Oxlade-Chamberlain has an important season ahead of him at Arsenal, and will look to make the most out of the opportunities he is given by Wenger, although the task of regularly being selected for the first team will get tougher, as the Gunners are in talks with many strikers for a potential transfer. This list of strikers includes Fiorentina forward Stevan Jovetic, who is tipped as the next big striker in the world.

According to SkySports, Oxlade-Chamberlain said, “It has been an up and down season for me but I have learnt a lot.”

“No-one knew what to expect from me in my first season at Arsenal and everything I did was a bonus. This season people expect you to continue in the same way, and so did I.”

“I have made a few steps forward in certain areas of my game, and had a few set-backs that have helped me to learn.”

“But I am happy with how my season has gone, and the way we finished with Arsenal. I’m really looking forward to next season.”

“I’m still young and every day I am involved with either Arsenal or England will help. I have to ensure I keep working hard and hopefully things will go well for me.”