Takehiro Tomiyasu says he has found his situation at Arsenal ‘demanding’ (Shutterstock)
Takehiro Tomiyasu says he has regained his confidence with Japan as he prepares to fight for his place at Arsenal.
The 24-year-old has started just one of Arsenal’s four Premier League games this season but could now see more playing time due to injuries to Jurrien Timber and Thomas Partey, who started the campaign at right-back.
During the international break, Tomiyasu delivered an impressive performance at the heart of Japan’s defence in their 4-1 victory over Germany.
And the defender says he is ready to return to a ‘demanding’ environment at Arsenal.
‘I had to convince myself, or rather, I needed to give myself confidence,’ Tomiyasu told Japan’s Football Zone after his nation’s 4-2 win over Turkey on Tuesday.
‘In that sense, I felt like I needed to regain my confidence. I wondered if it has become a problem. But at Arsenal it’s different, so if you ask me if I can just do that at Arsenal, that’s a different story.
Takehiro Tomiyasu was one of Japan’s star performers in their 4-1 win over Germany (Credits: AP)
‘At Arsenal, too, I need to do my best to secure a spot in the squad.’
When asked why he has struggled to secure a regular role at Arsenal given his star performance in the victory over Germany, Tomiyasu replied: ‘I’d like to say that, but I gained a lot of confidence from the way I played in these two international matches.
‘My days at Arsenal are really demanding, so if you ask me if I’m going to regain my confidence completely, I can’t say 100 per cent yes.
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‘I really feel like I’m doing well at Arsenal. I just need to be confident when I am there.
‘Of course, there were times when I lost confidence, honestly, I thought about a lot of things.’
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