After winning his Ligue 1 title with Lille back in 2011, Yohan Cabaye turned up at Newcastle with a lot of expectations, and rarely disappointed.
Scoring against the likes of Manchester United during his time in the north certainly helped him make a name for himself in the Premier League, hence his easy return after a mitigated season back in France with Paris Saint-Germain.
Ending up at Crystal Palace, now managed by Frank de Boer, the France international really feels at home in London and in England, a country he wouldn’t have any issues staying in once his football career comes to an end, as he explained in a lengthy interview with France Football.
Describing Mesut Özil as the best player he’s ever played against in the Premier League, the Eagles’ midfielder did, however, admit some frustration at not being able to compete for the top half of the league.
He said: “I’m a bit frustrated, obviously. At Newcastle, the first year, we competed in the top half. It was good, but it’s a tough league, one in which you need to fight. We were in that situation with Palace last year, but you’ve got to do with it and try and get out of it.
“Of course we’d like to be in the top half, but what’s important is to be ready to strong mentally”.
Back during his time at Newcastle, the 31-year-old was being linked with moves to Old Trafford and the Emirates, yet the midfielder admitted the chance to sign for one of the big clubs never really presented itself.
Explaining he had a ‘few contacts’, Cabaye revealed it never went any further than that, or, if it did, his club refused the offer.
As for whether he will ever return to France: “I’m very happy here. After that, we don’t know what the future holds, nor what God will put in our path. We’ll see.”
