Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has revealed that leaving Arsenal was the "hardest decision [he] has ever had to make".
The England international ended a six-year stay with the Gunners when he joined Liverpool for £40m in 2017, with the Reds having finished just a point above Arsenal the previous season.
However, the fortunes of both clubs have differed vastly since then, with Liverpool going on to win the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup, in addition to being on the brink of winning the Premier League title.
Arsenal, by contrast, have not finished in the top four since 2016 and are also trophyless in that time, but Oxlade-Chamberlain insists that his decision to leave was down to concerns over his playing position rather than the direction of the club.
"I wouldn't say I wanted to leave Arsenal because I didn't believe we could win. I just didn't believe I was going to be able to play where I wanted to play and that was it. Me winning the Champions League was obviously a dream come true and a massive bonus but I didn't feel like 'Ah, I told you so' [at Arsenal]," the 26-year-old is quoted as saying by talkSPORT.
"It was a big decision for me to leave a club like Arsenal. It was everything I knew at the top level for seven years. When you've been at a club like that for seven years...it's a club where you love being and it's more than just a football club, it's a family culture.
"When I had to make the decision to leave, it was the hardest decision I've ever had to make and to be honest there was a part of me that didn't know if it was the right thing. I feel a lot of my best performances for Arsenal came in midfield but I never played consistently in that position.
"The first game of that season I switched with Hector [Bellerin]. First game I played on the left [wing-back], he played on the right and second game we switched. I thought 'I've got to take the risk, I've got to take the chance. I don't want to look back at the end and think I didn't try.'"
Oxlade-Chamberlain has made 78 appearances for Liverpool since joining, scoring 12 goals and creating nine more in that time.
Barney Corkhill
