Krystian Bielik has revealed why he joined Charlton on loan from Premier League giants Arsenal during the summer.

The 20-year-old, who was signed from Polish club Legia Warszawa for a reported £2.5 million in 2015, started his sixth game for the Addicks during the win against Doncaster Rovers.

After the game, he also opened up about how the loan spell at the Valley has impacted his development following a tough time battling with injuries last season.

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Bielik said: “I came here because I don't want to play any more academy football. I think I've done very well in youth football, now it's the time for me to play proper men's football.

“That's why I came here, because I want to get as many games under my belt [as possible]. That's why I'm here, I'm very happy and it was very tough last year for me and now I'm getting better.

“I played my third game in a row after injury, so I hope I will start again on Tuesday against Walsall and play again 90 minutes without any injuries. That's my target, I want to do my best on Tuesday now.”

This isn’t the first time Bielik has said he’s ready for first-team football, with a loan spell at Walsall being hampered due to a serious shoulder injury.

He feels he will “not go higher” if he remains in Arsenal’s youth setup, according to newspaper Przeglad Sportowy, and previously desired a return to Birmingham City.

However, the defender, who played just four times for the Gunners’ under-23s squad in Premier League 2 last season, feels comfortable at the Valley.

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Bielik added: “A young player just has so many things in his head when he's not playing and his friends are playing. I was like, 'how am I going to play?', I forgot how to play football.

“But then I came back after the injuries, played my first and second games, and I just came back to a good level.”

When asked what he’s learned so far at Charlton, he said: “I'm still learning.

“I'm getting experience on the pitch in first-team football because I don't have many games in my bag.

“I played in the Championship two seasons ago in Birmingham and that was a great experience for me, I felt the Championship is a league I can play in.

“Now I'm at Charlton, in League One, and I think I'm doing well and I'm looking forward to playing in a higher league. I've got this quality to play higher but I don't really want to speak about the future right now, I'm focused on Charlton Athletic and our target is now to win games and go through to the next level - which is the Championship.

“We will do everything and what we can to do that.”