Newcastle United defender Florian Lejeune has opened up on his Magpies departure while paying tribute to former United boss Rafa Benitez.
Benitez, of course, plucked Lejeune from relative obscurity when Newcastle paid £8million to prise the French defender away from Spanish side Eibar in the summer of 2017.
Although his time at Newcastle has been plagued by injuries, Lejeune was arguably United's best defender during his first season at the club.
Lejeune has paid testament to the coaching of Benitez for his impressive performances on Tyneside, revealing he 'absorbed everything' from his 'crazy experience' in the game.
But while he gained confidence from the Spaniard, the 29-year-old felt it was a blow for his prospects at Newcastle when Benitez departed the club last summer to take charge of Chinese side Dalian Pro.
He was replaced by Steve Bruce and after recovering from a second serious knee injury, Lejeune has opened up on the difficulty of trying to break back into the Newcastle side.
“The Premier League is very different from La Liga," Lejeune told Marca, via Sport Witness.
"It’s a more physical football and the rhythm is also higher. I learned a lot with Rafa Benitez. He was the person who signed me.
"He made me grow tactically and physically. Now I think more about things in games. Benitez had crazy experience and I absorbed everything he said to me.
“The first season was pretty good. It was strained the entire second year when I suffered a serious knee injury. Rafa always gave me confidence, I was able to play fast again and then I was unlucky enough to break my other knee.
"I had to recover, work hard to get back and when I returned Benitez was gone. On a personal level, you learn a lot in situations like this.”
Bruce took the decision to ship Lejeune out on loan to Spanish side Deportivo Alaves in the summer and it is a decision that has come back to bite him.
Lejeune has thrived in Northern Spain, impressing against both Barcelona and Real Madrid in recent weeks. Meanwhile, a defensive crisis has seen Newcastle playing midfielder Isaac Hayden in the heart of defence in recent weeks and fans have been quick to criticise the decision to allow Lejeune to leave.
Nonetheless, the Frenchman is enjoying his new lease of life at Alaves, and feels comfortable working under manager Pablo Machin, who also managed him during his time with Spanish side Girona.
“The most important thing for me was to regain the confidence of the coach, enjoy continuity on the pitch and feel happy,” Lejeune added.
“When a coach like Machín calls you, it’s always more important to make the decision to come to Alavés. I’m very happy to be back in Spanish football and things are going well for the moment. Hopefully they continue like this all season.”
