Quotes from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

You are all mates off the pitch, but on it, you are all competing for places. I think that only makes a healthier squad - more players fighting for positions can only mean everyone has got to step their game up.

Ever since I've been at Arsenal, we've had numerous quality players, and the whole squad had been very strong. It just seemed that in the big games we came up short sometimes, and you wonder why.

I am really close to my mum. She always made me do my school and make sure I got all my grades. She is a physiotherapist, which is a massive help to me, so in terms of nutrition, she was the one who made sure I was eating all the right food, and I can only thank her that she kept me fit and healthy.

You see the likes of the Barcelonas and Real Madrids, and you always want to play against them and, obviously, Bayern Munich too.

Obviously, there's times in your career when people doubt you.

A lot of people don't see, when we lose and go through tough times, how upset and disappointed we are.

When my dad was still playing, he was away for five years on and off, so it just used to be me and my mum at home until my little brother came along when I was five.

I'll handle living on my own. You've got to learn somehow. I'll take it all in my stride like I do everything else.

Getting stronger and fitter by playing games is only going to help me.

It's important for any player to be versatile enough to be able to play in different positions.

Versatility is an extra string to a player's bow.

At Southampton, my dad was the academy coach at under-11 level.

I just say I'd like to be an attacking midfielder.

All managers make decisions, and sometimes they are right, and sometimes people say they are wrong.