Francis Coquelin pinpoints his loan spell at Freiburg in 2013 as a turning point in his career.
The defensive midfielder was often played out of position for the Bundesliga side and admits he found it “tough” to deal with.
However, he credits his time in Germany as an essential period in his development and a factor behind his fine form of late.
"The period in Germany helped me a lot, it was a tough, tough experience mentally"
Francis Coquelin
“[Going out on loan] has been really important for me,” Coquelin told Arsenal Player. “I have been out a few times in France, in Germany and in England.
“The period in Germany helped me a lot, it was a tough, tough experience mentally and that was a turning point in my career. I’m happy I went there and learned a lot.
“It has been a few exciting months for me [recently]. I have come back from Charlton, gone into the team as a sub and now I’m in the starting XI, so I am really pleased with things at the minute.
“[January] was a big part of my career. It was the first time I played so many games in a row so I could show game by game what I could do. It was a big month for me with the wins we got and everything was positive.”
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