Matt Turner says that Arsenal made it clear to him: If he wanted to play, he was going to have to leave.
Following just one season with the Gunners, the U.S. national team’s starting goalkeeper departed last week in a transfer to Nottingham Forest that could be worth up to £10 million.
Just days after completing the move, Turner made his Premier League debut in a familiar place. Coincidentally, Forest’s opening game of the season was away to Arsenal, with Steve Cooper’s side falling 2-1 after first-half goals from Eddie Nketiah and Bukayo Saka.
Turner made just seven appearances in his lone season with Arsenal, serving as Aaron Ramsdale’s backup. At 29 years old, the USMNT No. 1 isn’t in a place where he can afford to wait around too long for playing time. Speaking to ESPN, Turner said he began to look for a way out of Arsenal after an offseason conversation with club hierarchy.
“I think for me it was something that was definitely on my mind,” he said. “I wanted to go and play and find places to play, but at the end of last season when I brought that up it very much seemed like it wasn’t on the cards from conversations with the front office, staff members.
“If there was ever a league in Europe that I wanted to play in it was this one, so it’s been a goal of mine to prove myself in the Premier League and hopefully I can do that for 37 more games.”
Turner was clear-eyed about his debut season, admitting that he didn’t feel he did enough to surpass Ramsdale as the club’s starter — though he was satisfied with his performances when given an opportunity.
Asked if he regretted not playing more at Arsenal, Turner said: “Sure, but obviously I didn’t do enough to earn that so I’m self-aware enough. I thought I did well in the opportunities that I had to play.
“But again, the team is at the top of the table for most of the season and when that’s the case you don’t really change the goalkeeper very much.”
Still, Turner said he was happy with his experience in north London, saying it helped him become the USMNT’s starter at the 2022 World Cup and has led to him getting a shot to start in the Premier League.
“It helped me to become number one for the national team and play in the World Cup and that was always the goal,” he said, “and now I’ve found myself playing in the Premier League at another club.”
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