EXCLUSIVE

David Ospina says only two words in English during our meeting. After 10 minutes or so of conversing via a Spanish translator, we broach the awkward subject of whether it is possible to be friends with Wojciech Szczesny while rivalling him to be Arsenal’s No1 goalkeeper.

“Good question,” he says, smiling, before switching back to his native tongue. “Unfortunately for us goalkeepers, that’s just the way it is. The rest of the players have got more possibilities of playing. But we do maintain a good relationship and we have to in the training sessions because otherwise it becomes difficult for the team and for the coach.

“It is a healthy competition. In a team like Arsenal and at this level, you need to have very good goalkeepers like you have in all the major football teams. No1 and No2 goalkeepers really need to be ready to react very well. They have to be 100 per cent prepared and not prepared as and when but every day. You need to be that prepared and committed so you can continue to play.

“At the end of the day each of us is fighting to get that one spot. It is the coach that makes the final decision on who gets it so we do try to have a good relationship.”

It is a fight Ospina has recently been winning. Manager Arsene Wenger refused to confirm who would start tonight’s Champions League last-16, first leg clash against Monaco at Emirates Stadium but it would be something of a gear change were Ospina to be denied the chance of making his full debut in the competition.

Since Szczesny’s ill-advised post-match cigarette following defeat to Southampton on New Year’s Day, Ospina has played in seven of Arsenal’s nine matches, only sitting out two FA Cup matches to afford the Pole a shot at redemption.

Wenger continues to claim Szczesny is his No1 but that increasingly appears a merely a literal reference to his shirt number with speculation persisting that the club may try to sign another goalkeeper in the summer.

Ospina hopes to convince Wenger that the answer lies within.

A persistent knee problem meant the £3.2million summer arrival from Nice lost the momentum generated by a positive World Cup for Colombia. He made only two appearances in his first three months in England and a recurrence of the same knee problem when thrown into action as a substitute after Szczesny’s red card against Galatasaray in October prompted a further three-month absence.

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“What helped me a lot was that I left Colombia at a really young age,” says Ospina. “I was 19 years old when I went to Nice. I played six seasons with them which helped me to mature and gain experience.

“When you are injured, it is a difficult period. But you have to remain cold-headed and work double or triple harder to get back into shape and back into the game as soon as possible. Obviously, during these difficult periods, being able to count on the help of your family is really important.

“So you hope to recover and get back to 100 per cent so you are ready when an opportunity comes up. As a team, we do have a strong and healthy competition between myself, Wojciech and Emiliano [Martinez] so that is something that inspires us all to always be there and giving it 100 per cent in training sessions.”

A fascinating dimension of their battle for supremacy is the stark contrast in characters. Szczesny oozes confidence and speaks with authority beyond his years while Ospina is more relaxed and humble.

He admits a struggle in coming to terms with the physicality of the English game and is surprised by the sheer height of goalkeepers across the Premier League, despite standing a respectable six feet tall.

Ospina’s wife, Jessica Sterling, has just given birth to their second child and although he is not yet confident to conduct interviews in English, the language barrier is slowly eroding.

He is well placed to provide Wenger with a more contemporaneous view of Monaco in addition to the Frenchman’s knowledge of the club from his seven years in charge there between 1987 and 1994.

“You have a great deal of respect for a rival and all matches are different,” says Ospina. “I played against Monaco in France a great number of times and I know they are a team with a lot of ambition.

“They have had important players in the past who have made important contributions to the team and they have got experienced players. What we really need to do ahead of the Monaco match is focus on ourselves and our work.”

That approach resonates in any language.