Publications
Partners
Cape Town - Serge Aurier says he feels 'free now' after leaving Paris Saint-Germain for Tottenham Hotspur 'for a new adventure'.
The 24-year-old right back, who was signed as a replacement for Kyle Walker, says he wasn't truly valued by PSG despite being, as he says, 'the most influential defender in Ligue 1'.
Speaking to the Sun, the Ivory Coast international, who has a history of misdemeanors, said: "I wanted a new life because PSG didn't respect my true worth. They dwelt on other matters beside football.
"Statistically speaking, I am the most influential defender in Ligue 1 between 2013 and now. I have also won nine trophies with PSG.
"There are more striking things about my career than what happened off the field, but this is what they preferred to linger over.
"I feel free now. PSG offered me a new three-year deal, but I have left them for a new adventure. I turned them down for a number of reasons. I want to discover a new way of life.
"I got on well with everyone at the club - bosses, players, coaches and fans - and the proof comes from the fact they wanted to keep me. But I had to think of myself. It is a personal decision.
"I had some business with the police that was blown up by the media in Europe. Normally when a matter goes on for a year or more they move on to something else. But in my case, there was far too much of a fuss. If I hadn't been mentally strong I would have cracked up."
