Low: Podolski is a better player since Arsenal move

Oct 12, 2012 10:37:00 AM

The national team boss feels the attacker was right to move to England, and has stressed that the 27-year-old is a key player for the Nationalelf

Germany coach Joachim Low feels that Lukas Podolski's move to Arsenal has helped him grow as a player.

The 27-year-old joined the Premier League giants from Koln in the summer transfer window, and Low believes his decision to move abroad is already paying off.

"I always said it would be a good move for him. I think the progress he is making at Arsenal is very positive," Low said at a press conference.

"He always has such a positive energy about him and is benefiting from his experiences with Arsenal.

"I can only say positive things about him, even when he does not play.

"I have always been able to count on him for many years. That makes him indispensable for us. Even if he did not always start games, I always rated him very highly."

Podolski has made 103 international appearances for Germany, scoring 44 goals in the process, and he will be looking to add to his tally on Friday when Die Mannschaft take on Ireland.

Low also had his say on the debate around Bastian Schweinsteiger's comments regarding the spirit within the national team being different to what he experiences at Bayern Munich.

"Bastian explained to me what his feelings were during the Euros. He himself wasn’t all too happy. He was dejected having given away the German championship to Dortmund and having lost the Champions League final.

"He gave me a piece of his mind and we had a very fruitful discussion about it and he just felt that maybe the odd detail could be changed for the better in the German camp.

"I certainly told him that I didn’t have that feeling. You all saw the pre-tournament preparation period and everyone confirmed that the mood in the German camp was fantastic.

"Having said that, you have got to consider we are together for seven, eight weeks and the incredible psychological pressure on all parties concerned."

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