REUTERS – Being sent away from Arsenal on loan to various clubs across Europe has given Joel Campbell the exposure to first-team football he needed to become a better player, the Costa Rica international has said.

Campbell struggled to make an impact at Arsenal after moving to the club in 2011 and had to go out on loan for the first couple of years, partly due to work permit issues.

However, with Arsenal’s injury list continuing to grow this season, the 23-year-old has started back-to-back Premier League games for the first time.

Campbell, who scored on his first league start against Swansea City at the end of October, said hard work pays off during loan spells.

“I really enjoyed my loan spells at Lorient, (Real) Betis, Olympiakos (Piraeus) and more recently at Villarreal. Those experiences really helped me in terms of my personality and as life experience,” Campbell told the club website (www.arsenal.com).

“I would advise young players to make the most of the loan and to enjoy it. They should try to test themselves as footballers and people and do as well as they can so that they can come back to their parent club and be able to play.”

Arsenal, who trail league leaders Manchester City on goal difference, travel to face 13th placed West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

(Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)