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I was surprised Arsenal took an interest in me – Laurent Koscielny
French defender speaks of his new life in England in positive terms...
9 Jul 2010 12:47:00
By Robin Bairner
Former Lorient defender Laurent Koscielny has confessed that he was surprised that Arsenal took an interest in him while he was playing with the Breton side.
One of the most consistent defenders in France last season, Koscielny only made the step up to top level football after a spell with Ligue 2 side Tours, and the centre-back felt that his lack of experience might count against him.
“I was really surprised that Arsenal could be interested in a Lorient player with one season of Ligue 1 football in his legs,” he confessed to L’Equipe, indicating that he had been courted by the Gunners from the middle of May. “In my head, it was clear that I had to go there. A chance like this, it comes maybe once in your whole career. I did not want to miss it.”
Speaking of his experiences with the London club in his first week of training, the player said: “It's another world! When you see the training centre or the stadium, it is really huge. It’s been a week since I joined and everyone’s put me at ease. I'm back down to earth. The goal now is to play.”
Koscielny is eligible to play for either France or Poland, but he indicated that his target is simply to break into the Arsenal first XI to give him the chance of any such international experience.
Meanwhile, the player had praise for Lorient’s attitude to his transfer. “They wanted lots of money,” he said. “But they also knew that for a player, they could not refuse Arsenal. They did not put spokes in the wheels.”
Reports suggest that the transfer fee was in the region of £10 million (€12m).
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One of the most consistent defenders in France last season, Koscielny only made the step up to top level football after a spell with Ligue 2 side Tours, and the centre-back felt that his lack of experience might count against him.
“I was really surprised that Arsenal could be interested in a Lorient player with one season of Ligue 1 football in his legs,” he confessed to L’Equipe, indicating that he had been courted by the Gunners from the middle of May. “In my head, it was clear that I had to go there. A chance like this, it comes maybe once in your whole career. I did not want to miss it.”
Speaking of his experiences with the London club in his first week of training, the player said: “It's another world! When you see the training centre or the stadium, it is really huge. It’s been a week since I joined and everyone’s put me at ease. I'm back down to earth. The goal now is to play.”
Koscielny is eligible to play for either France or Poland, but he indicated that his target is simply to break into the Arsenal first XI to give him the chance of any such international experience.
Meanwhile, the player had praise for Lorient’s attitude to his transfer. “They wanted lots of money,” he said. “But they also knew that for a player, they could not refuse Arsenal. They did not put spokes in the wheels.”
Reports suggest that the transfer fee was in the region of £10 million (€12m).
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