Why I’m happy with the decision to leave Arsenal

Valencia midfielder Yunus Musah has explained why he is happy with his decision to have left Arsenal as an academy player.

Musah captained Arsenal youth teams and says they shaped him into the player he is today but he had to leave to gain first team experience and grow to becoming a man.

However, Musah did not stay in north London and push into the first team. He left the club after seven years and chose to join La Liga side Valencia in 2019.

“At the time I was 16 and I felt I could make the step to go into first-team football and felt I was ready for it,” he said.

“I had a lot of confidence in myself. Why still be with the 18s, 23s? I want to play in the first team.

“A lot of people said it was too early to think that and I agree it can be too early, and you have to be patient, but I just felt like I could do it.

“Valencia gave me a great offer to come here, start with the B team, train with the first team and push me to the first team when I earned it. That opportunity, a big team in Spain, caught my attention.

“My first season in the B team wasn’t actually great. I played 17 matches and did not even start most of them. It was tough times. That shaped me to get stronger and better.

“Pre-season came and I just stayed here [in the first team]. I couldn’t go back down. I just wanted to stay in the first team and work hard.”