Jurrien Timber has been putting himself through his paces in pre-season as he prepares to make another first impression at Arsenal.
The Dutchman, signed 12 months ago from Ajax for £38million, suffered a horrendous injury on the opening day of last season against Nottingham Forest. An ACL injury sidelined him for almost the entire campaign – only making his return on the final day against Everton.
Ahead of the new season though Timber has been at London Colney, putting in the hard graft alongside his team-mates. Fans on social media have commented on how the Dutchman is effectively a “new signing” given he wasn’t able to be utilised last term.
Timber featured at left-back when he made his debut against Forest, but his versatility across the back four is a real asset. Mikel Arteta will finally be able to use that this season, furthering bolstering an Arsenal defence that was the best in the Premier League.
A host of players, the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Emile Smith Rowe, were all back at the Arsenal base as the squad begin their preparation for the new campaign. Several of their leading lights, William Saliba among them, have been given extended breaks after their involvement in the Euros.
Last term Arteta was full of praise for Timber and how he impact the group upon his return from injury. His presence also pushed those in the squad to up their level as they attempted to retain their starting roles.
The manager said: “You see how commanding he is, his leadership, his quality and the rest they have to lift it up and they start to demand more from each other and they look at each other and say ‘I better be good because I want to keep playing,’ and this is very positive for the squad.”
Timber, last term reflected on his difficult campaign: “It was really hard [being injured], but on the other hand it was also nice to see everything up close with these guys. I had a lot of support this year from the fans, which was really nice. I think everyone knows an ACL injury is not easy, so I am really thankful for that. If the coach wants to use me anywhere, I’ll play.
