Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed he always maintained faith in striker Joel Campbell, despite the Costa Rican often finding himself down the pecking order at the Emirates Stadium.

Campbell has been loaned out on four separate occasions during his time with the Gunners, but has finally established himself as a first team player with some impressive performances this campaign.

The most notable of which were his efforts to help keep alive Arsenal's Champions League campaign in fixtures against Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos.

"I thought always the attitude was there. But in a game where we had a knife on the throat, he turned up with something special," Wenger said of the 23-year-old.

"It was great teamwork and a pass for Olivier Giroud on a second goal that was massive for us. That's when I thought, 'He can play under pressure as well'. That is important for us.

"I flat-refused to let him go, because I saw something in him that gives you belief, because of his attitude.

"It is true he had players in front of him and you think, 'Can you block a player like that?' But he was four times out on loan.

"He came back and you think, 'Do I let him go out on loan again? Let's keep him until January.'"