Unai Emery's treatment of Arsenal star speaks volumes about former Gunners boss
Carl Jenkinson has admitted that his final few months under then-Arsenal boss Unai Emery showed him exactly what kind of manager the Spaniard is
by Abbie Meehan · The MirrorCarl Jenkinson has claimed that Unai Emery taking him on Arsenal's pre-season tour before he left the club showed him how genuine the Spaniard is.
The English defender spent eight seasons at the Gunners, going on loan to the likes of West Ham and Birmingham City. In his final year in north London in 2019, Jenkinson said that Emery admitted the right-back wasn't in his plans for the following season so he could accept transfers with other clubs.
Speaking on the Fozcast with former English goalkeeper Ben Foster, Jenkinson discussed the issues of pre-season for departing players and how Emery made the best decision for him when leaving Arsenal.
The now-32-year-old said: "In pre-season, it's a time where you're playing games and players can be watched, you know, and if players like - it happens a lot in pre-season, managers will go 'Oh you're not in my squad, I don't want you'.
"Pre-season games are a shop window as well, so if a player has actually been left behind and then no-one sees them throughout pre-season, it makes it, they'll think 'Oh, you're forcing me out', it's actually making it even harder for them to find a club.
"I always remember towards the end of my time at Arsenal, I knew that I needed to find a solution because I wasn't going to play much and the writing was kind of on the wall.
"We were going away for preseason, and it was under Unai Emery, and I think I actually went into his office, like on the first day back for preseason. I said like - because we had had a conversation at the end of the season before - and he said 'Look I'll be honest, you're not going to play much for me this season'. So I said 'Okay, cool', do you know what I mean, I'll look for another club, I appreciate your honesty.
"So I went in and I said 'Unai, I could really do with coming on this preseason', he might have been like taking me anyway, but I just wanted to let him know, because as I said it's a shop window for me, it's a time for me to show what I can do for other clubs who will be watching.
"He said 'Oh, don't worry, yeah, you're coming on the tour'. I went on the tour, we played Real Madrid in America. I wasn't starting, I think Ainsley Maitland-Niles had like a back spasm or something just before kick-off, so I got drafted in.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Get the new Arsenal shirt for 2024/2025
The new Arsenal shirt for next season is now on sale
Ranging from £55-£110
The new shirt has returned the Gunners to their roots placing a stripped-down, elegant-looking canon right over the heart of the new shirt. Shirt manufacturers Adidas have produced a "clean and minimal" and the design "embraces modernity, while honouring Arsenal’s rich heritage.
Adidas
Buy it now
"I had a worldie game, played really, really well and then all of a sudden a phone call started ringing, my agent saying like 'Oh you know mate, you were unreal last night' and then I moved on [from Arsenal]. So, that situation was a prime example of actually, clubs just going 'Go and train on your own', it's not helping anyone."
Jenkinson would go to join Nottingham Forest in a deal worth £1.8million, before going on loan to Melbourne City and eventually joining A-League side Newcastle United Jets in 2022. He is currently without a club after his contract with the Jets ran down.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Sky Sports deal
Sky Sports launches 'lowest price' Premier League package
£43 (was £52)
Sky has slashed the price of its Sky Sports, Sky Stream, Sky TV and Netflix bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £216 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
With Ultra HD included at no extra cost, football fans can enjoy the 2024/25 season with crystal clear picture quality.