Willian opens up on his decision to calls it quits at Arsenal

Former Arsenal man Willian Borges da Silva has shed more light on the premature end to his time at the club.

The Brazilian joined Mikel Arteta’s men on a three-year deal back in the 2020/21 season although he did end up leaving after just 12 months which he described as “the worst time that he had lived as a professional”.

After departing the Emirates Stadium, Willian returned to his native country to sign for Corinthians and the 34-year-old has now revealed why he chose to cut his Arsenal spell short.

“I think I’m maybe the only player who has done something like this,” Willian told the Athletic.

“Any other player in my situation would have stayed until the end of the contract and kept picking up the money but I’m not like this.

“Money is not the most important thing in the world…I have to feel good, to feel motivated to go to training.”

Willian also stated that playing without fans did not make his time in North London any easier before he went on to tip Arsenal to have a successful season.

“For most of the season, we were playing without fans (because of COVID-19),” he added.

“I didn’t see Arsenal fans. Maybe I needed to feel the buzz of the crowd, that it was something I missed.

“On my last day there, I spoke with the manager Mikel Arteta and I thanked him a lot for what he had done for me, for bringing me to Arsenal.

“He is a good manager and I have great respect for Arsenal.

“They are doing well, they have good players. They can achieve good things this season.”

Now back in the Premier League with Fulham, Willian will be hopeful of a more enjoyable time in England this time around as he seeks to help Marco Silva’s men navigate a successful return to the top flight.