Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber has insisted he sees his versatility as a strength, despite it potentially being looked down on in the Netherlands.
[Ajax Showtime](https://www.ajaxshowtime.com/voetbalnieuws/timber-maakt-zich-geen-zorgen-ik-vind-het-een-voordeel-het-is-iets-positiefs) cover comments from the defender today made in an interview with Algemeen Dagblad, in which he talks about life at Arsenal and in the Dutch national side.
The 24-year-old has been playing catch-up with Arsenal after spending his first season recovering from a cruciate ligament tear that saw him spend 253 days on the treatment table and miss 53 games for club and country.
He returned towards the end of the 2023/24 season and was then a regular last season, with 48 appearances and 3680 minutes in all competition.
He was a regular starter in the Premier League, with 27 starts in 32 appearances in total, and 10 starts in 13 in the Champions League as well.
He’s mostly played as a right-back, with 36 appearances there so far, 12 at left back and just four at centre-back despite coming through at Ajax as a central defender. Indeed, he managed 106 appearances in that position and just 14 as a right-back.
Such versatility can often be to the detriment of some players, but Timber sees it as nothing but a benefit for him and Arsenal.
“I think that’s a real issue, especially in the Netherlands,” he said.
“A right- or left-back who plays centrally is seen as a promotion here. When I first played right-back at Ajax and was later moved to central position, I noticed that. In England, they don’t worry about it at all. It’s also nice for a coach.
“I see it as an advantage. Isn’t it a positive thing that you can play in multiple positions? Yes, it spreads your chances, you could say,” Timber continues. “The important thing is that you play, and that’s how you maximize your chances.”