Coquelin: I was in a comfort zone at Arsenal

Cape Town - Valencia midfielder Francis Coquelin admits he was stagnating at Arsenal and is now enjoying the challenge of playing for a new club in a different league.

The 26-year-old left the Gunners on January 11 to sign for Los Che after spending 10 years at the north London outfit, During which he made 160 appearances across all competitions.

The Frenchman has revealed that he struggled to challenge himself at Arsenal and is delighted to be pushing himself again. He has made seven appearances for Valencia and scored one goal since the move.

"It isn’t that easy when you’ve spent 10 years somewhere, but I needed a new challenge," he told Spanish outlet Clicanoo.

"You tend to get into a comfort zone when you stay several years in the same clubs. You try and challenge yourself, but it’s a bit harder.

"Here, I’m starting from scratch. It’s a new experience, a new training method, new teammates and a new environment.

"All that means I was thrilled by the project. There’s interesting goals to accomplish. I’m focused on that."