Fulham midfielder Willian admits empty stadiums contributed to his problems at Arsenal.
In 37 appearances for Arsenal in his one and only campaign in North London, he scored just one goal but did manage to provide seven assists in all competitions.
He told the Athletic: “I think I’m maybe the only player who has done something like this [cancelled contract early]. 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. I wasn’t having that there so I decided to leave.”
He continued: “For most of the season, we were playing without fans. I didn’t see Arsenal fans. Maybe I needed to feel the buzz of the crowd, that it was something I missed. It was a difficult moment not just for me, but for everyone in the world. To play without fans at a new club is not easy.”
“On my last day there, I spoke with the manager Mikel Arteta,” Willian said. “I thanked him a lot for what he had done for me, for bringing me to Arsenal. I just wished him all the best. 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.”
