Arsenal defender Rob Holding not interested in other clubs as he vows to make it at the Emirates

Staying put | Holding signed a new contract on Tuesday
Arsenal FC via Getty Images
James Benge2 May 2018

Rob Holding insists he never considered looking elsewhere after putting to pen to paper on a two-year contract extension at Arsenal.

Holding agreed a new deal on Tuesday that will take his current deal to 2022, becoming the latest squad player to sign an extension after Mohamed Elneny and Mesut Ozil in recent weeks.

The 22-year-old has made 23 competitive appearances this season and 42 in total since joining from Bolton in July 2016. Holding’s involvement has often been in fits and starts though the young centre-back has made several impressive contributions, including a superb performance in the FA Cup Final win over Chelsea.

On more than one occasion since joining Holding has been given the chance to leave the club on loan but is convinced that he is in the right spot.

“I’m happy to sign for an extra two years,” he said. “It gives me a bit of time to get more experience and build a place in the team.

“Why would you want to go somewhere else? You’re at Arsenal, you want to make it there. Other clubs, you’re not interested in. You want to make it at Arsenal.”

Holding has made just seven Premier League starts this season but played all bar 45 minutes of Arsenal’s Europa League group stage campaign.

However he noted that the experience of working alongside veterans Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker, who will retire at the end of the season to take over Arsenal’s academy, had helped improve his game.

“I’ve matured from a young boy to a man by doing the right things off the pitch to help me on the pitch,” Holding added.

“Just the experience of being around veteran players and full international players, that rubs off on you. You mirror what they do.

“I’ve worked with Per [Mertesacker] for two years and he’s been massive for me.

“I’ll be sad to see him go, he’ll be missed in the changing room. But I’ve got to see it as an opportunity, that’s the only way I can look at it. I’ve got to crack on and secure a place in the first team.”

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