Rosicky relishes responsibility

Tomas Rosicky has claimed that he is delighted to play a mentor role within the youthful Arsenal squad.

The 31-year-old has come into an improved vein of form recently and he has put it down to fresh faces inspiring him and making him feel young again.

Rosicky had been struggling to get a foothold in the side since falling out of favour with boss Arsene Wenger, but he has been central to Arsenal’s current form which has seen them mount a serious challenge to Tottenham’s hold on third place.

The Czech midfielder hailed the quality of the side and admitted that, although defeat is frustrating, the club’s youngsters need to persist if they want success.

“Sometimes the heat of the moment can get to you – you want it so much, so badly, that it will affect your performance, it can make you tense and not relaxed like you had been,” he told the club’s official website.

“I was like that at a young age, I got caught up in the heat of the moment many times. When you go through your career and the difficult moments, you know how to cope with that.”

“Sometimes success is closer than you think. When you have negative experiences during the season it can affect your future. It is difficult but you have to try not to be affected by negative stuff and fight through it.”

As well as Rosicky providing young players like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Aaron Ramsey advice, he has hailed their impact on his own outlook.

“This is still a group of very young players who need to have players they can grow next to,” the former Borussia Dortmund midfielder continued.

“For me, it is fun to be with the young guys because they make me feel young as well.”