Shkodran Mustafi admits he would have had to consider retirement had he ever lost faith in his ability to turn his fortunes around at Arsenal.
The German defender has enjoyed a welcome return to form for the Gunners since Mikel Arteta replaced Unai Emery as manager.
A player who has faced plenty of questions regarding his value and future in north London has become a regular again in a back four that has show signs of plugging costly leaks.
Mustafi claims to have never given up on a battle to win his spot back, as any doubts would have forced him to contemplate hanging up his boots.
“At the end of the day we know how it is in football,” the 27-year-old said in the Evening Standard.
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“You always get your chances, you always get the possibilities to go again and go again and when you start thinking like you said, I think it’s when you retire from football.
“It’s not the way a professional should think.
“For me, it’s always been the same, I always try to put my personal stuff behind me and be there for the team.
“Always when the team needed me I wanted to be there, not only in the games but as well in training.
“It’s easy to be professional when things are going good but I think it’s the same and important when things are not going so good personally, to be professional.
“At the end of the day, we are here to work and we are here to play for a big club.
“I always wanted to be ready and be there and whenever the team or the coach needs me I always say I’m going to be there.”
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Mustafi has previously admitted to feeling hurt by some of the criticism that has come his way in recent seasons.
He is, however, looking to silence his doubters with performances on the field.
Plenty of opportunities are coming his way, with the World Cup winner figuring again in a 0-0 draw with Burnley last time out despite having been carried off on a stretcher during a 2-1 win at Bournemouth with a sprained ankle.
“[My injury] looked very bad on the screen against Bournemouth,” he added.
“Our doctors are very careful with injuries, they try to protect us as much as possible so they try to make me go safety first.
“But then after I received the scan I think it was clear that with a painkiller I could go back on the pitch."
