Spending a season on loan in 2015-16 at Sunderland from Rubin Kazan, Yann M’Vila enjoyed himself in the north of England.
Keen to make the move permanent at the end of his temporary deal, the defensive midfielder’s wishes didn’t come true, and he eventually ended up returning to Russia, where he stayed until January.
Finally escaping Kazan, the France international landed on his two feet at Saint-Etienne in Ligue 1, where he has impressed since arriving.
Already a key member of the team, the 27-year-old has helped Les Verts remain unbeaten since January 21st, and is hoping the form continues.
Speaking to the club’s official match program at the weekend, relayed by Madeinfoot, M’Vila also touched upon something he missed from his time at Sunderland, which he was never able to find in Russia.
He said: “Everything is going well here, and everything points towards me making the right choice. With the staff and my teammates, things are going as well as they can be. There’s a good atmosphere in the dressing room, and I think you can see that on the pitch.
“I’ve also found the English fervour that I knew at Sunderland in the stadium. Fans like this really help boost confidence”.
The Black Cats currently sit rock bottom of the Championship, five points behind 22nd, having won just five games all season.
