Leaving Arsenal to make a step down was seen as a necessary move to reignite his career
Calum Chambers of Arsenal after the Carabao Cup Round of 16 match between Arsenal and Leeds United at Emirates Stadium on October 26, 2021 in London, England.
Calum Chambers said it was a 'no-brainer' to leave Arsenal(Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
View 2 Images
Calum Chambers was over the moon to join Arsenal - but his move to Aston Villa in 2022 was a "no-brainer." The defender started his career at Southampton before spending almost a decade in north London - with the two clubs meeting on Saturday night in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Chambers made the move to Villa in January 2022 after realising his time at Arsenal had come to an end. He had spent eight years in north London, which included loans to Middlesbrough and Fulham, and largely failed to live up to the potential that saw a fee of up to £16m paid for him as a 19-year-old.
Overall, Chambers made 122 appearances across five seasons for the Gunners, scoring five goals and assisting nine times from defence. By the time he arrived on a free transfer in Birmingham, he'd accepted it wasn't going to work for him in north London anymore.
Speaking to Sky Sports at the time, the defender revealed just how important this deal was to his career. Chambers said: "It moved pretty quickly. I was at that point in my career where I wasn't getting a chance at Arsenal.
"It felt like I needed to move on and have a have a fresh start. Then in January the opportunity came up to come to Villa and as soon as I heard that I remember thinking, 'Wow, what an opportunity to come to a club like this.'
"I needed a new challenge, something fresh. This was perfect. It was a no-brainer to be honest. As soon as I heard it, I was like, 'Yeah, let's get this done, let's do this.' After that, it all happened pretty quickly."
Chambers made 36 total appearances for the Villans, scoring once and assisting another. After watching his minutes dwindle in Birmingham, he left the club by mutual consent in the summer of 2024 and found a new home in Wales. He joined Cardiff City and is now the captain of the League One side.
Calum Chambers of Cardiff City reacts during the Sky Bet League One match between Port Vale and Cardiff City at Vale Park on August 07, 2025 in Burslem, England.
Chambers is now the captain of Cardiff City(Image: Lewis Storey/Getty Images)
View 2 Images
The veteran centre-half, 31, may be pushing on in his career but continues to pull out the "party trick" of finding the back of the net with long-range strikes. The ex-Gunner discussed his special talent as he reflected on Cardiff's race for promotion.
Chambers said: "It's something I like to do. I've popped up every now and again over my career and scored a nice goal here and there.
"It's like a little party trick of mine. It comes out every now and again. I think someone told me after the game, exactly a year ago today (Sunday), it was the Middlesbrough goal (for Cardiff in the Championship).
"I do enjoy getting forward in that part of the game. I started as a kid as a right winger, so I do think I've got an instinct for it. But it's just nice to help the team and a clean sheet really is more important for me."
Content Image
Content Image