Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is a nice lad; a nice lad and a brilliant footballer. In between playing for Arsenal and England - incredibly 10 times well before his 20th birthday in August - and handing out drinks to the pain-addled runners at last weekend's Virgin London Marathon, the winger was able to deliver his first Footballers' Football Column. The former Southampton youngster reveals the real reason why he chose to sign for the Gunners in 2011, how he grew up without ever playing Sunday league football and how the desire to win trophies burns brighter than ever in the home dressing room at the Emirates.

Arsene Wenger had a massive influence on me signing for Arsenal because of the man he is. He has been at Arsenal for 15 years and he is a massive character and personality in the game, who would attract any footballer in the world.



Before I signed, I went and watched Barcelona and Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium. To see the fans, the atmosphere, and realise that I would play on that stage, was a dream, and for it to become reality was amazing.



The style of play was the type of football I wanted to play. Everything about the club was what I was looking for, from the size of the club and the fan base and I am glad I made the decision to join Arsenal.



The man: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (left) admits he signed for Arsenal because of Arsene Wenger, here greating the youngster at London Colney earlier this month

I never played for a Sunday League team but I always trained with my dad. He used to run a Soccer Academy which was more about training and summer camps than playing. We did one-to-one stuff all the time, so I was never going to get scouted because I didn't play for a team.



My dad was a coach at Southampton and he got me a trial when he thought I was good enough. I went down there and I got a six-week trial and signed when I was seven-years-old.



I was at Southampton all the way through until I was 17, nearly 18. I had 10 years at Southampton and it was the first part of my career and I loved every minute of it there. It is a great club, and to leave them was difficult, but to come to a club like Arsenal made it easier.



Following in the family footsteps: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlin followed Mark Chamberlain into football



It was hard not get caught up in speculation before I signed for Arsenal, but it was not my fault people were putting price tags on me. I was just a young lad who was enjoying playing football and had to let everyone else do the talking, creating the stories and making the headlines.



You have to do your talking on the pitch, enjoy playing well and developing as a player. In a way it does bring pressure, but at the same time, I was not the one putting a price tag on myself so I had to concentrate on what I was doing at the time and that was making sure Southampton got promoted.



I signed for Arsenal and that happened so quickly. I went away with Southampton on our pre-season tour so I was still in that mindset, and then I moved to Arsenal. It was a new surrounding and it was very surreal, but from the start I loved every minute of it.



Going back to Southampton this year with Arsenal was weird. I never thought I would say it, but it was emotional. It didn't bring a tear to my eye but a lot of emotions were going on and it was different and difficult to play there.



But the Southampton fans gave Theo Walcott and I a great reception and we thank them for that. We both enjoyed our time at Southampton, and I can speak for Theo there, too. But we are both at Arsenal now and I am enjoying it there just as much if not more than my time at Southampton.



The hype machine was created after my first season with Arsenal and you're expected to be a world beater the following campaign and really push on, but between seasons there is only one month. In that time, people expect you to go from one level completely to the next. If you look at it, everyone has been saying that I have been in and out of the team, but in fact I have played more games this year than I did last year.



People forget that I am still 19, and I forget that because I put a lot of demands on myself. I will be 19 at the start of next season as well so I am still a young lad and I have got a lot of learning to do. For a 19-year-old to be in my position makes me happy and to be able to play for England is an honour.



I want to be able to do more and playing more; if you didn't then you wouldn't be in it for the right reasons, but I have got a long way to go and a lot of learning to do.



This season there have been good parts, but there have also been frustrating parts for me which I have learnt a lot from and will continue to do so.



I have to accept that there are a lot of quality players around me at Arsenal who are also fighting for a place in the team and the most important thing is for the team to do well and finish where we want to finish. I am relatively happy with this season as long as we finish where we want to finish and from a personal level I want to push on next season.

Arsenal are renowned for always qualifying for the Champions League so it is definitely something we want to achieve again. We have got the belief and the faith that we can do it. It was tough last season but we managed to do it and is going to be hard this year but we can only worry about each game as it comes.



Young Gunners: Oxlade-Chamberlain at Arsenal training with Wojciech Szczesny and Jack Wilshere



On England duty: Oxlade-Chamberlain during the Euros with Joe Hart, Ashley Cole and Joleon Lescott



Making a name for himself: Oxlade-Chamberlain has shown his potential in an Arsenal shirt



The game against Manchester United on Sunday will be tough for us, as is the run-in, and there are other teams around us fighting for that Champions League spot but, we cannot control what their results are. We have to keep our heads down and take it one step at a time and hopefully we will end up where we want to end up.

When you play for a club like Arsenal and with the players and our style of players, we have everything that we need to win something. Everyone in the team is really hungry to win something, as is the whole club and the fans. We want to push on next season and make sure we end it with some silverware.



That is the main target, but we can't think about that yet. We have to think about this season. We've got four really important games left that we need to try and win to put us in a position for next year to go and achieve something good.



The Arsenal fans have stuck with the club in difficult times. I know they get frustrated that we have not won anything this year, and it has been a while since we lifted a trophy. But their support is amazing and we are all really trying to do good things on the pitch and to achieve good things for Arsenal and for them.



NOW WATCH THE OX ON THE BOX

Watch Sportsmail's video interview with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in which he talks about playing with his dad, which team-mate tapes up his armpits and what makes him angry.

Last Sunday, I was with Lucozade Sport at the London Marathon. I handed out drinks at Mile 23 which was a really good experience and something that I would love to be a part of again.



It was really inspiring to see those runners putting in that effort to complete such an amazing achievement. For a professional sportsman to look at people who are just running for charities or good causes or for personal achievements is really inspiring.



In saying that, I got a few too many sweaty hugs. Next time they said they will have to bring wet wipes because I was covered in people's sweat, but it was all good fun. To see people at Mile 23 run over and give me a big hug and for me in return to put a big smile on their face and help them kick on and push on for the rest of the race was amazing.



VIDEO: Oxlade-Chamberlain hands out drinks to London's marathon runners...

Nearly there: Oxlade-Chamberlain, Wales rugby star Leigh Halfpenny and Scottish scrummager Richie Gray hand out drinks to London Marathon runners at Mile 23 last weekend



Marathon boost: Oxlade-Chamberlain poses with one runner and is lifted up by another



THE OX AND LUCOZADE

Lucozade Sport Ambassador, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was supporting runners at the Virgin London Marathon at #mile23 last Sunday.

I know when we go running that when you are at that stage where you don't want to take another step the last thing you want to do is divert away from the finish line. So to see them come over to give me a hug and a high five was amazing, and to know that I could give them a boost was really good.

I have never done a marathon before and I can't see me doing one while I am still playing football - I don't think we would be allowed. But it is definitely something I 'd like to achieve one day but probably when I have retired. It would be a challenge for any footballer to do a marathon and it would definitely take them out of their comfort zone. It is something I'd love to achieve one day.







