Coquelin lifts lid on the bad habits he slipped into at Arsenal

Former Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin explained he had to move on from the club last month after slipping into a comfort zone during his latter years with the Gunners.

The France midfielder brought an end to his 10-year stint with the club in January when he joined Valencia in a €14million switch.

And the player has admitted he had lapsed into a comfort zone at his former club before sealing his move to Valencia.

“It isn’t that easy when you’ve spent 10 years somewhere, but I needed a new challenge,” the midfielder told Spanish outlet Clicanoo.

“You tend to get into a comfort zone when you stay several years in the same clubs. You try and challenge yourself, but it’s a bit harder. Here, I’m starting from scratch.

“It’s a new experience, a new training method, new teammates and a new environment. All that means I was thrilled by the project.”

Since signing for Los Che, Coquelin has featured in seven matches, scoring once.

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