Bukayo Saka has called Arsenal teammate Jurrien Timber a ‘top player’ and said he is delighted the defender is now ‘getting the praise he deserves’.
Timber saw his debut season with Arsenal decimated after sustaining an ACL injury on his Premier League debut. After arriving from Ajax in a £34m deal, the Dutch defender missed almost the entire campaign before returning on the final weekend of the 2023/24 season.
The 23-year-old has regained his fitness during pre-season and has started the season in excellent form. Deputising in either full-back position, Timber has been integral to Arsenal’s unbeaten start to the campaign across all competitions.
Timber’s composure and ball-winning have earned admirers and Saka is delighted to see the defender shining after a ‘hard’ period on the sidelines. He said Timber provides his teammates with ‘confidence’ when facing one-vs-one duels and expressed his happiness at seeing his teammate make up for lost time.
Saka says Timber defending gives Arsenal teammates ‘confidence’
“He gave me a lot of confidence that when he’s one vs. one with an attacker he’s going to win the ball back and give it to me,” Saka said in an interview with CBS.
“On the ball he’s so composed, so calm and confident. He’s a top player, I’m happy he’s showing it. It must have been hard for him, knowing that he had that much ability but was on the sidelines for a year. He always kept his head, stayed humble and worked so hard. I’m happy that now he’s getting the praises he deserves.”
Read – Saka says Arsenal always had belief in ‘unbelievable’ teammate
See more – England vs Greece – Predicted lineup and team news