Olivier Giroud admits Arsene Wenger’s decision to bench him at the beginning of the season was a wake-up call.
The 29-year-old started Arsenal’s first three games of the campaign but then struggled to cement his place in the side ahead of Theo Walcott.
Giroud was booed off in France’s 2-1 win over Serbia in September and the striker believes Wenger’s call to drop him from the side was a positive one.
"He chose to put me on the bench when I came back from Bordeaux [after France’s win over Serbia]. Maybe he thought I needed to be less under pressure," Giroud told Le Parisien.
"We spoke about it. He told me he trusted me, like he did Theo Walcott, but that we were two different players. It was also a tactical choice.
"I understood the coach's tactical choice, but after four games, I needed to turn things around.
"I told myself, 'I can't let this last'. It wasn't good for me, for the national team or for the Euros. I didn't want to spend the whole season on the bench. It made me react."
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