Forgotten Arsenal star who hasn’t played for the Gunners since 2022 shines on international stage as captain

Add as preferred source on Google

With the October international break now here, Arsenal stars have flown out around the globe to represent their nation.

World Cup qualifiers are the main source of focus over the next few months, as every team looks to book their place in next summer’s competition.

With so many Arsenal stars on international duty, there are plenty of options for games to keep track of during the two-week break.

It’s not just those in the senior squad who are worth keeping an eye on, however.

There is one forgotten Arsenal loanee who hasn’t featured since 2022 but has impressed with his nation.

• READ MORE: Versatile £50m Arsenal man faces huge challenge to win a place back in Arteta’s team

Karl Hein shines in Estonia’s defeat to Italy in World Cup qualifying

Arsenal have plenty of loanees this season, who are playing elsewhere in a search for more minutes and experience.

Among those is Karl Hein, a 23-year-old goalkeeper who has only made one appearance for the senior team.

Last season saw the shot-stopper out on loan in La Liga with Real Valladolid, while this campaign offered a chance to play for Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga.

Plenty has been said about his displays so far, but that was put on hold as he went off on international duty for his country, Estonia.

Despite being just 23, the goalkeeper has already made 42 appearances for the national team and is their captain.

That comes with plenty of responsibility, not least in games against superior opposition, as Italy were in their recent World Cup qualifier.

Hein stood firm, however, even with the game ending 3-1 to the Azzurri.

The Arsenal loanee made six saves, including one from the penalty spot, to deny Italy from having quite an easy evening.

SofaScore gave Hein a 7.5 rating, which was the best on his team and only bettered by four of Italy’s starting 11.

While the match ended in defeat, the goalkeeper is proving just how impressive he is and could be for the future.

• READ MORE: Arsenal star impresses in position Mikel Arteta has not used him for 265 days

How Karl Hein is doing on loan from Arsenal this season

This summer saw Hein make the switch from Arsenal to Werder Bremen in search of some more game time and experience.

It took a few games for the Estonian international to work his way into the team, missing the first four Bundesliga matches.

He was then drafted in for the match against Bayern Munich, a tough clash for a debut to be made, as the Bavarians put four in the back of the net.

Fortunately, that hasn’t put the team off from picking Hein again, as his second display against St. Pauli came with a better result.

A 1-0 win saw the Arsenal loanee keep his first clean sheet of the season, something he’ll now be looking to build on after the international break.