Bellerin: 'If I wanted to play (at Barcelona) I would have stayed there'

Arsenal supporters can breathe a sigh of relief after star right-back Hector Bellerin pledged his future to the club amid interest from some of Europe's biggest sides.

Bellerin, who joined the Gunners youth set-up in 2011 from Barcelona's famed La Masia academy, has emerged as one of football's best young full-backs since taking the first-choice gig from Mathieu Debuchy last season.

Naturally, Bellerin is flattered by the interest from the likes of Manchester City and Barcelona, but the 21-year-old is quick to point out he's more than happy plying his trade at the Emirates.

Related: Wenger insists Bellerin's long-term future is at Arsenal

"If I wanted to play there I would have stayed there," Bellerin told the Evening Standard's Tony Evans about a potential return to the Catalan capital. "I was very happy when Arsenal showed interest in me and I decided to come here. I’m not looking back, I’m just looking to help Arsenal."

And helping Arsenal he is, starring in a now-solid back-four alongside Laurent Koscielny, Shkodran Mustafi, and Nacho Monreal, and for the first time since Arsene Wenger's storied Invincibles side, the club are solid in defence.

Much of that can be attributed to the three-time capped Spanish international, who blends obscene pace with a penchant for tracking back, prompting interest from Europe's biggest spenders.

While reports suggest Manchester City's desire to alleviate an aging back line, Barcelona's attraction has been far more blatant after club vice president Jordi Mestre admitted a desire to sign Bellerin in September.

Related: Barcelona VP hints at re-signing Arsenal's Bellerin

"It’s nice for a player to know that big teams want you but I’m very happy here," Bellerin added.

"I’ve still got three years left on my contract so I’m just focused on playing every single week, improving and hopefully making things happen here at Arsenal. I’m not in a rush to extend the contract. I’m happy. I’m comfortable. I want to be here a long time."

A keen pupil under Wenger, despite becoming arguably the league's best full-back, Bellerin understands there's much to learn, saying, "I’m only 21, so there’s many more things still to improve. The ceiling is so high. I just need to keep learning and improving."

With hated north London rival Tottenham visiting the Emirates on Sunday, Arsenal supporters can smell blood in the water after a drab run of showings for Spurs, and the importance of the fixture is not lost on Bellerin.

"It’s like a rule you just learn when you come into the club and you can see when you interact with fans how important it is to them," Bellerin continues. "Even though you haven’t been in the country a long time, even the new players like Granit (Xhaka) and Lucas (Perez) know how important it is for the whole club to win the game."

Not hard to see why the young Spaniard has quickly become a fan favourite.