Rob Holding thanks Arsene Wenger for his trust as Arsenal youngster prepares for FA Cup Final

Rob Holding could have left Arsenal in January on loan but admits he is grateful for manager Arsene Wenger’s show of faith as he prepares to start Saturday’s FA Cup Final against Chelsea.

A string of Championship clubs were interested in a mid-season move for the centre-back, who started the first three Premier League games of the season but then did not feature in the competition again until April.

Holding joined the club last summer in a £2million deal from Bolton and was thought to be open to a spell away from the Gunners in order to gain more first-team experience but Wenger opposed a deal.

And as an extended recent run in the team is set to finish with a starting berth at Wembley this weekend, Holding told Standard Sport: “I didn’t leave in January as the boss wanted me around the team. He saw me playing.

“I just had to listen to him and keep working hard on the things he mentioned. That has spoken for itself over the last few games.

“I got a look in at the start of the season and then some cup games. After that it was just about being on the training pitch, putting the work in and getting another chance. Since I got the chance, I’ve managed to take it and the boss has shown some faith in me to keep me in the team.”

Holding’s return to the team last month coincided with Wenger’s switch to a 3-4-2-1 system, a decision which took many at the club by surprise.

It was a formation first trialled against Middlesbrough after only a few days’ training but Holding revealed he has a head-start on learning the specifics, having been part of an experiment involving a three-man defence earlier in his career.

“We had a little play with it at Bolton under Neil Lennon when I first got back into that team,” he said. “I like playing in a back three, it gets me playing on the ball more and I can get to bring it forward which I like doing. It suits us at the moment.

“I have no idea if it’s the best system for me.

“I just like playing and when I get out there on the pitch, I just do the best I can in whatever formation we are put in.”

Holding has played in seven of Arsenal’s nine matches since the switch and has become a key figure this weekend.

Laurent Koscielny will miss the final through suspension while Gabriel is also expected to be ruled out amid fears he may have suffered knee ligament damage.

Shkodran Mustafi (left) is set to recover from illness but Holding is almost certain to start as one of the three centre-backs — a dramatic rise to prominence in what will be only the 17th start of his Arsenal career.

“The hardest thing has been adjusting to the pace of the game,” he added. “It is a lot faster than what I am used to. The physicality, too. It is something I have got to step up to and match.”