Football: Olivier Giroud: I never doubted I would come back stronger after spell on the Arsenal bench

Back to his best: Giroud celebrates another Arsenal goal Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Olivier Giroud believes Arsene Wenger to take him out of the firing line following his recent struggles on international duty helped him come back stronger.

The French striker had endured a dismal start to the season by early September, scoring just once and missing plenty of presentable chances in his first five games for Arsenal. His season reached a nadir during the early September international break, when he was booed off the field during a friendly between France and Serbia with Karim Benzema replacing him.

However since then Giroud has rediscovered his best form, scoring seven times for Arsenal and proving his doubters in his home country wrong with an impressive brace against Denmark.

The 29-year-old adapted well to a substitute role, not starting a league match between September and late October, a decision that he said was prompted by Wenger’s desire to remove him from the limelight.

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“He chose to put me on the bench when I came back from Bordeaux [where he played against 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.”

Despite being relegated to the bench Giroud never questioned that he would return to the starting lineup and regain his first-team place ahead of next summer’s European Championships in his home country.

He added: “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.”