There was a time when Mathieu Debuchy, now 37 years of age and a centre-back at Valenciennes, was a right-back at Arsenal.
He arrived when Arsène Wenger was still in charge, but the defender never managed to fully break through at the Emirates, eventually heading out on loan to Bordeaux.
This is a period of his career he doesn’t particularly look back at with a smile, as he explained in an interview with Colinterview, relayed by Girondins4Ever.
Signed from Newcastle by Arsenal for €15m, Debuchy made just 30 appearances for the Gunners over his four years with the London club, and even once came close to signing for Manchester United, with the deal falling through at the last minute.
Speaking about his tough time there, he explained how an injury to his shoulder cost him his starting spot, when a certain Hector Bellerín took over when he was out for three months.
He said: “He had some good games, was performing. From that moment on, it was over for me. It was a very difficult time. Exchanges with Wenger? They were normal, I didn’t feel forgotten. There’s a staff there too, but I felt that I had passed on the other side, and what hurt, because I stayed some more seasons there, is that there was a moment when I could have taken my spot back.
“The manager had made his choice, though, and that was it… He’d decided to play Bellerín who was performing. Sometimes, he wasn’t playing as well, and that’s when I could have been there, but the manager decided to keep him in. I was a bit annoyed with him at times, but that’s how it is.
“There were pre-seasons when I played some good friendlies, it was going well, but in his head, it was decided, and I couldn’t do anything. That’s what hurt. You get back to your level, you feel really good, you have really good games, but you can’t play.”
Leaving Arsenal in 2018 for Saint-Etienne, Debuchy stayed three years there before heading to his current club on a free transfer in 2021.
