Wenger believes in Bendtner

Gunners boss has expressed confidence in his young striker

By Richard Bailey   Last updated: 12th January 2009

Wenger believes in Bendtner

Bendtner: More to come from striker

Related links

Teams

Players

Also see

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has expressed that he has full confidence in striker Nicklas Bendtner.

Bendtner scored the winning goal against Bolton after coming off the bench on Saturday with just six minutes of normal time remaining.

The Denmark international has found chances hard to come by at the Emirates after bursting onto the scene while on loan at Birmingham in the Championship in 2006.

This season the 20-year-old, who turns 21 later this month, has started eight times in the Premier League, scoring twice with six goals from 24 appearances overall.

Despite preferring Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin Van Persie up front, Wenger insists that he has total belief in the youngster's ability.

Finished article

"The fans judge on the game but the manager has to consider what he can display in one year," he told the club's official website.

"Today they wanted to see the finished article, that is normal.

"He has spoken to me and he knows I have full confidence in him and people are sometimes surprised that I stick with him.

"I think he has scored a very important goal (against Bolton) and it is not the first time.

"He can be decisive, for me when a striker is in the air, or on the move for a set-piece, he understands football.

"For the goal he scored he was on the move at the moment he scored. So you can say this guy is a striker and has a chance. He is 20-years-old but it is very young."