Simpson - Pre-season was a privilege for me


The last 12 months has seen Jay Simpson conquer the steepest of learning curves and, this season, the striker is eager to continue the climb.

After winning the League One Player of the Year award during his loan spell at Millwall, the 19-year-old was awarded a place on Arsenal’s first-team tour of Austria in July. His pace and power caught the eye as he featured in all three of fixtures out there. Simpson feels his recent progression owes a lot to the Lions.

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“The loan spell definitely helped me a lot on the physical side,” he told Arsenal.com. “My ball retention with defenders behind me has really improved. In League One, they like to get into you and give you a kick. It was a very good experience for me and I feel it’s something that I’ve brought back to Arsenal.

“It was really valuable experience going away with the first-team [in pre-season] too. Training out there with some of the best players in the world was really intense and it helped me a lot with my fitness. It was a privilege to be out there, just knowing the Boss is taking note of you.

“If the Boss would like me to go out on loan again this season then I will do. If he needs me to stay I’ll stay. Like everybody, I just want to play, especially after playing all of last year. But it’s down to him and I’m happy to be at Arsenal.”