Former Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman believes that Wojciech Szczesny will emerge as a better goalkeeper next season following his battle with David Ospina to become Arsenal's undisputed number one.

The Polish international has not featured in a Premier League game for Arsenal since New Year's Day, having been dropped to the bench by manager Arsene Wenger for smoking in the dressing room after a 2-0 defeat at Southampton.

Ospina has emerged as first-choice stopper in recent months, with Szczesny being restricted to appearances in cup competitions, but Seaman is adamant that both players will improve as a result of the direct competition.

"With Wojciech, it must be hard for him now to be number two, coming off the back of a season where he was a regular and had been playing at his best, but it is totally just because he had a couple of bad mistakes and Ospina has gone in and done his stuff," BBC Sport quotes the 51-year-old as saying.

"It is not just the games which make you play better, it is the training. The goalkeepers train together, and you see the other guy, you think 'I want to be better than him' or 'I am going to show him how good I am'. That is day to day and is good because it brings the best out of you and tests you, so you become a better goalkeeper."

Szczesny is expected to start Arsenal's FA Cup semi-final meeting against Reading at Wembley next weekend.