ARSENAL winger Tomas Rosiky believes William Gallas is the right man to lead Arsenal this season.

The Gunners skipper was heavily criticised last year after a bizarre one-man protest at Birmingham, before having a dig at team-mate Theo Walcott in a magazine interview.

But 27-year-old Rosiky is backing the temperamental French defender to guide the north Londoners to glory this time around.

He added: “It was not an easy situation. On the other hand, it was William’s first season as captain and it’s not easy to wear the armband in a team like this.

“I think he will have learned. There were things he could have done better — but he knows that better than anyone else.

“He’s really immersed in everything and that was something he just got immersed in too deeply.

“But otherwise he’s a good leader in my opinion and he will continue to be captain even though there was speculation about that.

“We’re more experienced now, precisely because of what we have gone through. We took a huge step forward.

“At the end of last season, we finished just four points behind the winners Manchester United.

“I’ve already said we will be competing for the title even though people don’t have much confidence in us. It was the same situation a year ago, when Thierry Henry left.

“He was a much bigger icon than the lads who have gone now — and we coped with that.”