Arsenal life was crushing me, says Zenit’s Andrey Arshavin
Zenit Saint-Petersburg midfielder Andrey Arshavin says he was being crushed by the monotony of life at Arsenal
Andrey Arshavin says the monotony of life at Arsenal was crushing the Russian forward after sealing a return to Zenit Saint-Petersburg on Thursday.
The 32-year-old didn’t register a single Premier League start last season, making seven appearances from the bench, while featuring largely in the club’s Capital One Cup campaign.
Arshavin’s Arsenal nightmare came to an end in May, and Zenit have offered the midfielder a chance to rediscover his old form by handing him a two-year contract.
The Russia international initially impressed at the Gunners, but after a prolonged spell on the bench, Arshavin was relieved to finally quit the Premier League.
“The fact is I didn’t want to stay in England, this was clear since January,” Arshavin told Sport Express.
“I don’t regret anything, but I had to leave.
“It was a punishment sat on the bench. To train even though you know you won’t play – it is psychologically difficult.
“I nearly suffered depression, but I didn’t because I’m mentally strong. The monotony of life there was crushing me.”
The 32-year-old made 144 appearances for the Gunners, scoring 31 times over the course of five seasons, following a £15m move to the north London side from Zenit in January 2009.
