BENIK Afobe had always been desperate to play for Arsenal. Ultimately, he was almost grateful he never did.

Having joined the club as a six-year-old, Afobe progressed through the ranks and looked destined to be the next best thing to come out of the Emirates.

But his progress was checked by two serious injuries, leading the striker down a path which took in several loans.

He was a success at Huddersfield, helping them beat Cherries in the League One play-off semi-final before losing in the final to Peterborough in 2011.

Spells at Reading and Bolton were average, a torn anterior cruciate ligament curtailed a brief stay at Millwall, while a three-month period at Sheffield Wednesday proved as disappointing as it did defining.

It was at MK Dons where Afobe really started to make his mark, plundering 19 goals in 30 games, often in tandem with Dele Alli.

His exploits earned him a £2million move to Wolves with Afobe finally severing ties with Arsenal in January 2015 after 15 years.

A fruitful 12 months in the Championship earned Afobe a big-money transfer to Cherries when he became their club record £9m signing last month.

Afobe will be hoping to maintain his impressive start, which has yielded three goals in four games, when Cherries host the Gunners on Sunday.

“Life goes on,” replied Afobe, when asked about his Emirates exit. “For me, when I left Arsenal, I was leaving for a positive reason. It wasn’t so much that I got released. When you are sold, you don’t have to go and you can see out the contract.

“For me, it was a positive move. People think I was there for 15 years and didn’t get a chance. To be honest, I preferred to leave without playing a game.

“Everyone knows I didn’t get a chance whereas, if I’d played three or four games and been terrible, then you start thinking you’re an Arsenal reject or whatever.

“It’s for other people to say what if I had been given a chance but, for me, my family and my agent, it’s about being the best you can.

“Nobody can break me down in that sense and nobody can say ‘if you had played for Arsenal, this or that, or you didn’t get a chance because you weren’t good enough’.

“That’s not an issue. My only issue and my only objectives now are to keep improving and keep working hard at Bournemouth.”

Afobe was just 17 when he was first farmed out to Huddersfield, 18 when he damaged his hip in the Emirates Cup for Arsenal and 20 when he tore his cruciate.

He added: “It has been hard but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I could have broken into the Arsenal first team at 18 or 19 and go on to have a career but that’s not how football or life works.

“Everyone has a different path and destiny. Mine were to go on loan, to have a few injuries and to become mentally stronger.

“My best attribute is my mental strength. I don’t get scared, I don’t fear anyone, I’m confident and I believe in myself and my team-mates.

“When I was younger, you start to have doubts. But going on loan and being both successful and unsuccessful and living in different parts of England helped me a lot. I don’t think I would have got that mental strength if I had broken into the Arsenal first team at 19 or 20.

“Even when I was at MK Dons, my intention was to score as many goals as I could and go back to Arsenal. I never thought I wouldn’t play for them until they sold me.

“It didn’t hurt my feelings and I didn’t think that was me done in the Premier League and I wouldn’t get my chance.

“I had just turned 21 at the time. You see the likes of Jamie Vardy who is only lighting up the world now and he’s 29. It’s never over as a footballer especially when you are hungry you want to keep working hard and improving. I’m willing to work hard for everything I can get in the future.”