The new Arsenal signing Mesut Ozil admits he had no intention of leaving Real Madrid football club, until realising that he risked being left on the sidelines.
Gareth Bale's transfer from Tottenham Hotspur to the Bernabeu helped push Ozil to the London club, saying he agreed to the move after it became clear that he no longer figured in the plans of Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti.
Now Ozil is looking forward to linking up with international colleagues such as Per Mertesacker and Lukas Podolski as well as working for Arsenal's German-speaking manager Arsene Wenger.
He's currently with the Germany squad preparing for the World Cup qualifying double-header against Austria and the Faroe Islands.
His Arsenal debut could come in their next Premier League fixture, at Sunderland a week on Sunday.