It seemed a foregone conclusion.

We’d already begun mourning for the inevitable departure of Tomas Rosicky when his contract expires in the summer.

Being chased by his former side, Sparta Prague, and never seeing a minute of action on the Arsenal pitch, it seemed just a matter of time before he acted on his frustrations and left the club having already admitted he thought about it in January.

Coming on in the second half of the 0-0 draw against Sunderland on Wednesday night, Tom was given a magnificent reception. There is no doubt about how highly he is regarded amongst the Arsenal fans who watched on as he almost broke the deadlock just moments after replacing Mesut Ozil.

Speaking before the game to the London Evening Standard, the Little Mozart admitted that nothing has been decided about his future but, more than that, he mentioned the possibility of staying.

It’s enough to make your heart leap.

“I can’t tell you anything at the moment,” Rosicky said.

“When the season finishes, we’ll see if I will continue for another season. I would rather not talk about it at the moment.

“Being on the bench is difficult — every player wants to be involved. When you’re not getting the games you want or if you are not even part of it, it’s difficult for every player.”

All giddiness aside, it’s hard to see how Arsenal can give him the promise of playing time that he so desperately wants.

Having lost such a large chunk of his career to injury, it’s not surprising that every minute on the bench would feel like a minute wasted. It’s clear from his statement that Arsenal have offered him a one-year deal, but at 34, can he afford it?

I still think he’ll leave, but, for now, I can smile a little as I think it might not be the foregone conclusion we all thought it was.