'I carried my pain for three years!' - Ex-PSG fan favourite reveals painful injury experience as he explains why he left Champions League winners in summer transfer

A PSG youth academy graduate, Kimpembe was tipped for a lengthy career at the top of the game as he cemented a starting XI spot and even went on to wear the captain's armband on occasion. However, the centre-back was hit with frequent injuries ahead of the 2022 World Cup, ruling him out of the competition and eventually keeping him sidelined for two full years. Having lost his place in Luis Enrique's side, he opted to leave for Qatar SC this summer. 

Speaking in an interview on the Canal+ show 'Clique', the 30-year-old said: "Everything happened quickly. I spoke with the club about my situation and how we could move forward. I knew there would be no war with Paris. There was never a problem. I simply want to play. I spoke with the coach [Luis Enrique] and the president [Nasser al-Khelaifi]. I explained to them that I couldn't do a third year like that. They want to see me play. And I want to play football again. I dragged my pain out for two and a half to three years. I suffered a lot."

After signing a one-year contract with the Stars League heavyweights, he made his debut on September 21 in an eight-minute cameo against Al-Shahania SC. The 2018 World Cup winner left PSG having made 241 appearances in all competitions.

Qatar SC have their upcoming game scheduled for September 27 against Al-Shamal, and Kimpembe is expected to get more minutes in this game, if not a start.