Christos Tzolis, Arsenal's new Greek international winger, said he wants to prove he is ready and capable of playing in the Premier League following his summer move from Club Brugge, in an interview with the Telegraph.
The 22-year-old scored his first goal for Arsenal in a preseason friendly against Girona just days before the interview.
Learning from Norwich
Tzolis said he is not the same player he was at Norwich City, adding that he feels the difference both physically and in how he thinks. He said now is the moment to prove he is ready and capable of competing in the Premier League.
He explained that his move to Norwich came five years earlier, when he had played only in Greece with PAOK, in just his second season as a professional, before going straight into the Premier League. He said it is always difficult for a team that has just come up from the Championship to compete at the highest level.
He said he believed Norwich were not really ready for the Premier League, which made his own adaptation harder. He described himself as an attacking player, but said Norwich were often forced to defend very deep and rely mainly on counterattacks, a style he said did not suit him.
He said that over the last three years, one season at Fortuna Düsseldorf and two at Club Brugge, he had played a leading role and contributed significantly in attack, and that he now feels much more ready to play in the Premier League.
Choosing Arsenal
Tzolis said it was difficult to say no to Arsenal, calling them the first club to show genuine, concrete interest in him. He said other clubs had asked about him or discussed his situation, but nothing came of those approaches.
He described Arsenal as the most decisive, which he said made his decision easy. He said he told himself he only wanted to go there and did not want to hear anything else, adding that there were other attempts but that for him the decision was clear.
Talks with his new manager
Arsenal are managed by Mikel Arteta. Tzolis said he and his manager discussed his background in detail, with Arteta wanting to know about his personal life and the path he took to becoming a professional footballer.
He said they went through his career together, and that Arteta already had a strong grasp of his characteristics on the pitch and wanted him to keep playing for Arsenal the way he played for Club Brugge, without changing his style.
A style modelled on David Villa
Asked about his style of play and the player he grew up admiring, Tzolis described a forward who moved a great deal into inside channels, someone who started from the left but always had the goal in mind. He said that is how he sees himself, since he is not a classic winger who stays glued to the touchline, and that he likes to drift toward the centre.
He said he and his idol share a similar build, since neither is particularly tall, and that the player was outstanding at finishing chances. He said he was not claiming to be at that player's level, but believed there were some similarities.
A post accompanying the Telegraph interview named the player as former Spain striker David Villa, quoting Tzolis saying he is not on Villa's level but sees similarities between them. It also noted Tzolis joined Arsenal in a £34m summer deal after recording 22 goals and 29 assists for Club Brugge last season.
