Keeper Jens Lehmann maintains he is not ready to "give up" on Arsenal - and still believes he can force his way back into Arsene Wenger's side.The 38-year-old is out of contract in the summer and lost his place as the Gunners number one to Spaniard Manuel Almunia this season following a couple of high-profile errors and a spell out injured.

Despite knowing the need to play regular first-team football ahead of the European Championships, the German turned down the chance to join former club Borussia Dortmund earlier this month.

Lehmann, who arrived at Highbury in 2003, maintains he has unfinished business with Arsenal and was today named by Wenger to start against Newcastle in the FA Cup at Emirates Stadium.

"If I still see a chance to get in the team, why should I give up?" said Lehmann in an interview in Saturday's match programme.

"The pressure comes into play from this point of the season and I know that experience can be very valuable, we all have a role to play."

Lehmann revealed: "I had to consider a lot of issues.

"First of all, I like it here, I like the club, I like the fans, I like the team and the way we are playing football.

"I think that I still have a chance to win things here - I would not have had this chance somewhere else.

"Then it is true that I had to consider my family situation - my boys like going to school here and they have a lot of activities ahead of them before the end of the academic year.

"Then there is the fact that I am a competitor.

"Those are the reasons why I decided to stay."

Lehmann added: "I have always liked playing here and it is not something I could just give away through not playing a few games - things can change very quickly in football.

"I believe in this team's ability to win things and I believe in my ability to be part of that, so I can't give it up quickly."

Lehmann will be a free agent at the end of the season, and has yet to reveal whether he will continue playing for Germany on the road to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

"I have always said that in the summer I will be free in my mind to make decisions - whether to stop or whether to go on for another two years," he reflected.

"I have not made up my mind yet and I will leave it until after Euro 2008."

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