Ainsley Maitland-Niles didn’t want to ‘rot away’ on Arsenal bench and says there are ‘zero’ similarities between Mikel Arteta and West Brom boss Sam Allardyce

Ainsley Maitland-Niles admits he sought a loan move for the second half of the season top avoid ‘rotting away’ on Arsenal’s bench.

Maitland-Niles joined Premier League strugglers West Brom as they battle to keep their place in the top flight.

The 23-year-old has made five league appearances with the Baggies losing just two of those games, winning one and drawing the other two.

West Brom face Newcastle at home on Sunday in a relegation six-pointer – with the game exclusively live on talkSPORT.

When speaking about his decision to go out on loan, Maitland-Niles told talkSPORT: “It’s another loan deal, you are going to end up going back to the club eventually.

“It was just more of a chance for me to show what I’m capable of other than sitting on the bench for the rest of the season and rotting away.

“The main reason was being able to play as there’s nothing better than playing. I felt it would be great to experience the work of people trying to save their careers and stay in the Premier League.

“I think it was the perfect fit for me to be here and show them the qualities I can produce.”

On the surface, the style of Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta and West Brom’s Sam Allardyce appear completely different.

When asked if there were any similarities between Arteta and Allardyce, Maitland-Niles said: “None at all. Two completely different men. They’ve got different ways of dealing with things and saying things to players.

“It’s strange to come out of that one environment and be chucked into something different where everything is different. There’s not one thing the same. 

“I’m just learning to enjoy it and take everything as it comes.”

Maitland-Niles did say that the Baggies players fed of Allardyce’s energy as they look to overturn the nine-point gap to Premier League safety.

“He (Allardyce) wouldn’t come to a team knowing it’s an impossible task,” the loanee added. “His energy, his belief shows up on the players. We are feeling his energy and we react to that and we start believing more in ourselves. 

“That’s the only way the team is going to progress.”