In an interview with Brazilian sports daily Placar, Arsenal midfielder Denilson has asserted that he is determined to hold down his current first-team slot in North London and hopes that success at international level will follow in the near future.Denilson, 20, moved to Arsenal from Sao Paulo in 2006 with a big reputation, having captained Brazil at every level he had appeared for them at. After spending a year bedding into English football, he was expecting to play a more prominent role last season, and admits that he was frustrated by his lack of playing time.
"I did not have much stimulation to train.
"I thought about asking for a loan move or a return to Brazil. Here in England, all alone, with the weather and everything... it was hard."
This season has been the polar opposite for Denilson, as the departures of Mathieu Flamini and Gilberto Silva over the summer have given him the chance to get a decent run going in the first team. Having got a taste of regular football, Denilson is now ready to establish himself at Arsenal, and hopes that international recognition will follow.
"I want to make history here," he explained.
"Clearly I want to play for Brazil, but I must play well here to make the squad on merit... I feel that it is very close."
Unlike many of his team-mates, Denilson prefers to avoid the bright lights of London, and is in the process of buying a house in Hertfordshire, just a short drive from Arsenal's training ground. None of his family accompanied him to England, and he prefers to stay focused on football, rather than letting other distractions enter his head.
"I decided in my mind that I had to do this alone... that was the only way I felt I would be able to succeed," he concluded.
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