Arsenal goalkeeper Emi Martinez says Arsene Wenger's words of wisdom helped him to decide to stay at the Gunners and fight for the No.1 shirt with Bernd Leno.
The Argentine star impressed in Germany on his first start for the Gunners after returning from a six-month loan deal with Reading in the summer.
The 27-year-old says that despite being behind Leno for the starting role at the Emirates Stadium, he is happy to be back in north London challenging the Germany international.
And Arsene Wenger's advice in the past has helped him to accept his role at the club and keep challenging for the top spot.
"I'm the No 2 for now, but it won't stay that way," he told the club's official website.
"My aim is to be No.1 and I'll keep working until I get there, because I'm not comfortable with just being a No.2. When I was playing for Reading, I got this feeling of being the No.1 - and I want that at Arsenal.
"I've been here for so many years and the only reason I've stayed here is because I believe I can be the No 1 here. I've got all the qualities you need.
"Arsene Wenger, when he was here, always used to say to me, 'Emi, you're the future of this club'. I believe that I can be a No.1. Don't get me wrong, I accept my role as a No.2 at the moment, but my target is to get that No.1 jersey."
Martinez had the opportunity to leave the club this summer, but following talks with Unai Emery and goalkeeping coach Javi Garcia, he decided to stay and try to convince the manager that he is the better option.
"Over the summer, I spoke to Unai and our goalkeeping coach, Javi Garcia, after my spell with Reading. I told them I would stay but said that would only be the case if I had the chance to become the No.1 here, if I had the opportunities to play and get that shirt.
"The only way you can improve yourself is through playing and I worked really hard in training, even when I was No.3 behind Petr and Bernd. I don't think anyone works as hard as I do in training, which is why I've been at this club for 10 years, but I believe you can only get the opportunity to improve from game time on the pitch.
"That's why I said to them, 'If you're going to give me the opportunity to become No.1, I will stay. Otherwise, I have 13 or 14 clubs that want me to sign for them'. It was a big decision for me and my family, and we chose what was best for my career. Arsenal is the best club for me.
"You only get one career, so I have to do what's best, and I'm lucky because my wife and my kid will follow me everywhere I go. There were offers but when I signed for Arsenal, it was to one day become No 1 for this club. It's my dream club and after my season on loan at Reading, I feel like I showed everyone how good I am.
"I said to my family: 'If Arsenal don't trust me, then it's time to move on' but Arsenal have shown lots of faith in me and I trust the club, I trust the manager and I believe we're going to have a great, great season."
Despite being fiercely competitive, Martinez revealed there is a harmony among the three current keepers at the club, with Matt Macey also pushing to try and earn himself starts for the Gunners.
"I just want to win every time. Bernd's just the same. He's a great guy, so is Matt. We're three young, talented goalkeepers and we all want the same thing: the No.1 shirt.
"It's very hard to go to training every day and not like the person you're training with - and that's happened to me in the past, where the other goalkeeper is too arrogant and disrespects the goalkeeping coaches. Coming into work thinking you're going to face that every day is not nice, so we make sure that we have a great group. We go out for dinner together too because it's nice to have a good relationship with them. They're my friends but on the pitch, they're my rivals."
