By Mark Mitchener

Spicer has moved to Dean Court on a month's loan

A regular in the Gunners' reserves but with a host of internationals blocking his route to the Highbury first team, he is treading the well-worn path of a month's loan to the lower divisions.

However, Spicer is realistic enough to appreciate that this will be an important season for him.

At the same time, injury-hit Bournemouth will hope to benefit from his tutelage with the Premiership champions - for however long he remains with them.

In the past, the Cherries have had future stars such as Rio Ferdinand, Jermain Defoe and John O'Shea on loan.

And Spicer, who is 21 on Monday, admitted: "A lot of good young players have come down here, as they try and play football, and it's a good young club.

"So when the Arsenal chief scout phoned me up and told me they'd come in for me, I thought 'Sweet, I'll take it'.

"A few clubs came in for me on loan last year, but they wouldn't let me go.

A lot of good young players have come down here John Spicer on Bournemouth

"So this year I've really been pushing to go out, our coach Eddie Niedzwiecki (Arsenal's reserve team manager) was pushing me, and Bournemouth came in for me."

Born in Romford, Spicer has been with the Gunners since the age of nine - but sees that his long-term future could lie away from Highbury, where he has only made a solitary three-minute substitute outing in the Carling Cup for Arsene Wenger's first team.

"This is the last year of my contract at Arsenal, so hopefully I can do well and either stay on there or go somewhere else, which might be better for me, to be honest.

"Arsenal say they've got plans for me, so it's up to them what they offer me at the end of this year.

"If it's what I want to hear, I might stay but if not, I'd move. It's only a football team, at the end of the day.

"Arsenal sign a lot of young foreigners, along with the best players in the world, so the opportunities are limited but you learn from them when you train with the first team.

"I've played for England at every age, but I need to be playing League football to get into the Under-21s, so if I do well here, Peter Taylor might notice me.

"I'll see how it goes after the first month here, and review it after that.

"But everyone's made me feel at home - the lads and the manager have been good to me."

Match report: Bournemouth 1-3 Colchester

Having watched his Cherries debut, boss Sean O'Driscoll added: "It was difficult for him, as he only trained with us on Friday.

"But he's a talented player - he worked really hard, hit the bar with a nice little chip and he could be a good asset for us.

"Arsenal were keen to let him go out, as he needs to play - I suppose we were in the right place at the right time, so it happened to be us."

Spicer may eventually push his way into first-team contention at Highbury, or leave to seek his fortune a rung or two lower, like Reading's Steve Sidwell or John Halls at Stoke.