Bernd Leno has been speaking to the Islington Gazette after making his debut in the Europa League against Vorskla Poltava at the Emirates on Thursday evening.

Unai Emery’s side triumphed 4-2 over the team from the Ukraine in the opening match of Group E.

A double from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and goals from Danny Welbeck and Mesut Ozil came before two late strikes from Volodymyr Chesnakov and Vyacheslav Sharpar marred Leno’s debut.

The Group E opener saw the 26-year-old signed from Bayer Leverkusen for £19 million warmly welcomed prior to kick-off as he became the 12th German to represent the club.

However the highly-rated former Bundesliga netminder has had to play second fiddle behind the experienced Petr Cech so far this season as Emery has persisted with the former Chelsea man, despite Leno having rightly earned a reputation as an excellent ‘sweeper-keeper’.

Speaking to the Gazette following the triumph he was asked why he believed he hadn’t started a game before Poltava.

He replied: “I don’t know. Maybe the coach wants me to learn a new country, a new team.

“A goalkeeper is a special position. The coach is the boss, he who decides. I have to accept it.

“I will work every day very hard to make his decision very difficult.

“The coach didn’t say anything the training. I think my performances in training are good. I train very hard.

“Maybe it will take a little bit of time but I will keep calm and my chance will come.”

Follow Arsenal reporter Layth on Twitter @laythy29