Folarin Balogun has expressed his appreciation towards Mikel Arteta for keeping faith in him which shows he has a future at the club.
The teenage striker appeared destined to leave his boyhood club this summer with his contract entering its final year and his path into the first team looking foggy as the likes of Eddie Nketiah and Alexandre Lacazette having slots in the first team.
The 19-year-old a £3million bid for the in the summer, while several Bundesliga clubs were said to be monitoring his situation with interest.
Balogun, however, has had a change of heart since Arteta’s decision to bring him into the squad for the recent Europa League matches and the forward, who has been prolific at academy level, rewarded his manager’s faith by scoring his first senior goal against Molde last night.
It took Folarin Balogun just 37 seconds to open his senior account after stepping off the bench against Molde on Thursday.
The Arsenal young forward underlined his predatory instincts with an accomplished finish – and now he says he will keep working for more opportunities.
“I’m feeling really happy, it shows that all the hard work I’ve put in over the years is just starting to pay off,” Balogun told Arsenal.com.
“It’s important that I keep working hard to enjoy more moments like this.
“I didn’t think that particular [break for the goal] was going to be my chance, but I always try to stay ready and I’m happy that on this occasion it paid off.
“It’s been good [to be involved], it’s nice to see the boss showing faith in me. It feels like this is a good experience for me, I just need to keep on learning, keep on adding to my game and I’m happy that I could contribute today.”
