Wojciech Szczesny’s heartfelt farewell message to Roma and his form in the Serie A is proof he’s matured after two years away from Arsenal.

The Polish international kept the most clean sheets in Serie A last season and played every match as Roma finished in second place, four points behind eventual champions Juventus.

His gratitude to them for giving him such an opportunity to prove his quality was shared on social media earlier this week and he’ll be hoping that his experiences in Italy will stand him in good stead once he makes his long-awaited return.

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As a result, it’s increasingly likely that he’ll battle it out with Petr Cech for the number one spot at Arsenal next season.

Szczesny will not be content initially being seen as second choice to the 35-year-old and is expected to work hard to change that in the long-term, not least due to Cech’s spells of inconsistency when called upon last season.

However, there is genuine hope that Szczesny’s spell out of the firing line in north London will have helped him develop on all fronts while becoming a more mature player too.