Francis Coquelin believes his loan spell with Charlton Athletic has helped him back into Arsenal's first team.
The 23-year old French defensive midfielder spent just over a month with the Addicks, making five appearances in the Championship, and feels that experience has allowed him to force his way into the plans of Gunners boss Arsene Wenger.
Since returning to the Emirates Stadium in mid-December, Coquelin has featured in all seven of Arsenal's fixtures and was delighted to be back playing regular senior football.
"It's been a couple of exciting months for me," he told Arsenal Player.
"I've been out on loan to Charlton and that was a good experience for me. Now I'm back at Arsenal and playing again, so I'm enjoying it.
"The Championship is a tough league. Maybe technically the Premier League is a little bit better but in terms of power, engagement in duels and challenges, I think the Championship is a very tough league. It helped me come back to the Premier League.
"The manager called me for a reason, gave me my chance and I'm now trying to prove what I can do on the pitch. I've been here long enough so I know everyone quite well. Everyone made me very welcome, so I think [settling in] was easy."
