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Lukas Podolski: 'I deserved more game time at Arsenal'

Former Arsenal forward Lukas Podolski claims that he "deserved" more game time at the club but pays tribute to his old Gunners manager Arsene Wenger.

Former Arsenal striker Lukas Podolski has claimed that he did not get as many minutes as he "deserved" during his time at the Emirates Stadium.

The Germany international joined Arsenal in 2012 and made 33 Premier League appearances during his debut campaign for the Gunners, scoring 11 goals.

Podolski made just 14 more Premier League starts under Arsene Wenger after that, though, eventually leaving on loan for Inter Milan in January 2015 before joining Galatasaray on a permanent basis later that year.

"I didn't get enough game time; I felt that I performed well and didn't get the minutes I deserved," he told FourFourTwo.

"On the other hand, if you look at my stats, I played in about 80 matches and was directly involved in a lot of goals by scoring or assisting. My relationship with the fans and players was positive. We won the FA Cup in 2014, which was the club's first trophy for quite a few years. And I liked living in London, in Hampstead. My family enjoyed it, too.

"[Wenger] was a great manager and I really like him as a person, too. He was like a grandpa: a very intelligent man, who was nice to talk to. He could speak lots of languages and never yelled. He was Arsenal: he created everything.

"Arsene created a style of playing. He was the man who oversaw the club's move to the Emirates Stadium from Highbury, and won so many trophies during his 22 years there. I'd be fascinated to see how he would have done in charge of another team."

Podolski made 82 appearances for Arsenal, scoring 31 goals and registering 17 assists.

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Barney Corkhill
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