Bendtner: I’m a changed man now

Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner says the birth of
his son has changed him a lot and has helped him
get his career back on track.
The 25 year old made his first Premier League
appearance of the season at West Brom last weekend
after spending the last two seasons on loan at
Sunderland and Juventus respectively.
The Denmark international has credited the birth of
his child as a crucial factor in his growing maturity
and says he should be judged on the present.
Speaking to Arsenal official website, he said:
First of all I had a baby, which changed me a lot. I
think a lot of people say that you have babies and
they change you but for me I could really feel a
big difference to my life.
Being abroad showed me a lot of different things
and different aspects of how to live and how to
cope with problems and things like that. I think
that has given me a lot more as a man.
Bendtner believes the perception that he is arrogant
is wrong and insists some of his previous comments
have been misinterpreted. He added:
I don't like that I keep getting put up on
comments I've made which have been wrongly
said – that I still to this day have to see it and
listen to it.
If people don't like me, that's fair enough. If
people can't accept that sometimes you're young
and make mistakes and move on, that's not up to
me.
I try to do my best and that's basically all I can do
for my family and my friends and everyone
around the Club.
I think every football player wants to achieve the
[most] within what he can do. That's what makes
you. If you have a dream and try to do everything
you can to be the best that you can, that's you
trying to make the best out of your job or what
you do.
I basically said that I think that anybody who
plays football in the world would love to be the
best. I think that's a normal statement and that
got [changed] to me saying that I was the best
player in the world.
I don't know where that came from. I still listen to
it now and again and still see it. If people want to
believe that, then that's that.
Bendtner was expected to leave the club in the
summer with many clubs putting up late bids but
due to some unexpected events he was forced to
stay at the Emirates but the player seems to have
taken it in his stride and has now featured a couple of
times for the Gunners this season.
Despite having a pretty decent goals to games ratio
Bendtner has had an erratic career at Arsenal, saying
and doing things that didn't do much to endear him
to the Arsenal fans. But the Danish does look a
changed man this season as he is looking calm and
composed and maybe this is actually the result of
him feeling more responsible after the birth of his
son and the fact his career has faltered.
He just has one year left to prove his worth at the
Emirates and with his contract expiring at the end of
the season; it is not looking particularly likely he will
get an extension unless he does something
exceptional. However a good season will be vital for
the striker if he wants to progress his career either
here or elsewhere.
Can Bendtner make an impact for Arsenal this
season?
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Glo Mobile.