Newcastle United forward http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Hatem-Ben-Arfa-c15884 believes that he has matured as a player with the passage of time, and his recent form with the Magpies is good enough to earn him a place in the French squad for the Euro 2012.
The 25-year old was one of the star performers for Newcastle in the second half of the 2011/12 campaign. He made a strong comeback in the squad after an ankle injury kept him on the sidelines in the preliminary stages of the season. The Frenchman made 34
appearances for the Toon last term and netted 7 goals in total, including a sensational scalp against Bolton Wanderers in April, which was later rated as one of the best goals of the season.
His prodigious dribbling ability and brisk pace won him the plaudits of his team-mates and the manager, who have likened his game to that of the Argentine superstar http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Lionel-Messi-c22296.
With the European Championship fast approaching, the attacking midfielder remained optimistic over his chances of representing France in the elite competition and felt that he has become a much better player with time.
While talking to reporters, he said: “I am more peaceful now. Every failure makes you grow. I have evolved and at 25 I think I'm more mature than when I was 20.”
Ben Arfa, who failed to secure a place in Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010, was named in the 26-man provisional squad announced by the manager Laurent Blanc on Tuesday last week.
And with Blanc set to declare the final 23-man party by 29th of May, Ben Arfa indicated that he was totally oblivious over his selection.
He remarked, “Obviously you wonder what is going to happen but I have no hunch. I just hope I will be in the squad.”
Ben Arfa made his international debut for France against http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Faroe-Islands-c2896 in October 2007, coming on as a substitute in the second half and scored a goal in his side’s comfortable 6-0 win.
In total, he has represented http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Norway-c2974 way back in August 2010.
Nevertheless, the Newcastle player revealed that he was gutted after being left out of the Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010 squads in http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/South-Africa-c757, but mentioned that he will deal with the disappointment if he is ignored again this time around.
He continued, “I still remember the shocks of 2008 and 2010. If it has to happen, I will adapt.”
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