'I deserved to play more for Arsenal – but the club didn't agree with me'

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Joel Campbell believed he could have been a success story at Arsenal if he hadn't been sent out on loan so many times. The winger joined the Gunners in 2011 but made just 40 appearances across six seasons.

Campbell went out on loan a total of seven times during his time in north London, including a year-long spell at Sporting CP . The Gunners will welcome the Portuguese outfit to the Emirates Stadium tonight for the second-leg of their Champions League quarter-final match-up.

During his time at Sporting in 2016, Campbell accused Arsenal of not rewarding him for a successful spell back at the club the season prior. Speaking to A Bola at the time, he said: "I feel good, This is a new experience.

"I think I deserved to play more after what I did last year, but now this is a new stage."

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It was during the 2015/16 season that Campbell made the majority of his Arsenal appearances - 30 in total. He scored four goals and assisted six times, including two in the Champions League group stage.

Despite solidifying a regular spot in the squad, Campbell was shipped out on loan two more times and eventually departed north London in 2018.

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He signed for Serie A side Frosinone on a three year deal, even though he believed that the departure of Arsene Wenger would give him a chance to play more regularly for Arsenal.

Wenger was succeeded by Unai Emery in May 2018, after 22 years of service in north London. Campbell told Goal that he felt Emery would give him an opportunity but this wasn't how it turned out.

He said: "To be able to train and to play with those players was great. Wenger is a fairly quiet coach, but I liked him because he was one who gave a lot of freedom to his players on the pitch: he believed in the most technical players and he tried to put them in the starting XI.

"I have no regrets because I tried to use my opportunities and I don't think I did badly when I was called into action.

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"This summer I believed I could be part of Emery's project, I spoke with the coach and the club, I was sure that I could do well in a technical system like that of the Spanish coach but the club had different ideas.

"It was a great experience that I will never forget because English football is something gigantic."

Not long after joining Frosinone, Campbell would go out on loan once again to Leon. He would join the Mexican side after the temporary switch and has now returned to his home country of Costa Rica.