Cedric eager to see the job through

CEDRIC Evina hopes he can remain an Athletic player for the rest of the season.

The potential of the 18-year-old Arsenal winger was illustrated with his well-taken left-footed strike which earned Athletic a point in their last outing at Rochdale.

Evina has made the berth on the left side of midfield his own, despite facing stiff competition from other players within the squad.

And the Cameroon-born player, the youth team captain at the Emirates Stadium last season, is enjoying his time up North enough to want to stick around beyond the current scheduled ending of his loan spell on January 3.

"We haven't really spoken about that," said Evina, when asked about the chances of him staying on at Boundary Park.

"Hopefully, when January comes, the manager (Paul Dickov) and chairman (Simon Corney) can sort something out so I can stay for the rest of the season.

"I am enjoying life up here and am nearly a northerner now!"

Evina has played eight games for Athletic and the undoubted highlight so far was his sweet strike at Spotland.

"I have been doing that in training — curling it rather than trying to smash it," he said.

"It was good to get off the mark, so hopefully there are more goals to come.

"There is a lot of competition for places so I have to make sure I keep on working hard and do what the gaffer wants me to do.

"The standard of football in this division is better than I expected. It is definitely harder.

“I knew it was going to be physical and I haven't been disappointed in that regard.

"The level of football is high. But I feel that I have got into it now and am used to it.

"The step up (from reserve and youth-team matches) is massive and it is a different world.

"At Arsenal you are in a bit of a bubble, but out here you find out what it is really like.

"The pressure to get three points means it is very different. Whereas in youth or reserve-team football, the winning and losing is not what it is all about."

The Christmas period will be a busier one than Evina is used to experiencing and with a play-off chase to maintain, there is no time for him to relax into the festivities.

"Normally we get 10 days off!" Evina said, referring to the life of a youth-team footballer.

"But this is the professional life, so you just have to get on with it.

"This is an important time of year as well. We need to make sure we focus in order to pick up points as the games come thick and fast."