Arshavin: It's punishment sat on bench at Arsenal
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Andrei Arshavin has expressed his frustration with life on the substitutes bench during his final season with Arsenal.
The 32-year-old returned to former club Zenit Saint Petersburg on Thursday following the expiration of his Arsenal contract, just over four years after at £15 million becoming the Gunners' record signing.
Having made such a promising start to his Premier League career - including all four in a 4-4 thriller at Liverpool in April 2009 - he struggled for consistency and found himself out of favour for long periods.
"It was a punishment sat on the bench," Arshavin told Sport Express. "To train even though you know you won't play - it is psychologically difficult.
"I already knew I'd be leaving England in winter, because having to sit on the bench was like living in a labor camp.
"I nearly suffered depression, but I didn't because I'm mentally strong. The monotony of life there was crushing me."
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| Andrei Arshavin made 144 appearances for Arsenal, scoring 31 goals in five seasons Photo: Getty Images |
The 32-year-old returned to former club Zenit Saint Petersburg on Thursday following the expiration of his Arsenal contract, just over four years after at £15 million becoming the Gunners' record signing.
Having made such a promising start to his Premier League career - including all four in a 4-4 thriller at Liverpool in April 2009 - he struggled for consistency and found himself out of favour for long periods.
"It was a punishment sat on the bench," Arshavin told Sport Express. "To train even though you know you won't play - it is psychologically difficult.
"I already knew I'd be leaving England in winter, because having to sit on the bench was like living in a labor camp.
"I nearly suffered depression, but I didn't because I'm mentally strong. The monotony of life there was crushing me."
