Jeremie Frimpong has revealed it wasn't about quitting Celtic - but taking the next step in his career to play in the Bundesliga.
The defender left Celtic Park in a whirlwind move at the end of January and joined Bayer Leverkusen in a transfer Neil Lennon described as disappointing.
The Celtic boss felt Frimpong should have stuck around at Parkhead but Frimpong made it clear that it was nothing to do with the club, but his ambition to play in one of the top leagues after a brilliant 18-month spell in the Premiership.
And he's also revealed that he's a regular watcher of anime to motivate himself before matches, but admits his team-mates tease him over his 'childish' hobby.
In a wide-ranging interview with The Athletic, Frimpong said: “It was the right time to leave Celtic because it was about a big club like Leverkusen coming, rather than about Celtic.
“And obviously the Bundesliga was really attractive. So when they came, I was like ‘I could play in the Bundesliga!’, and that was it really.
“I was watching Bundesliga anyway, and Bayer Leverkusen were playing a lot. For me, I’ve always wanted to play in the top leagues, and I consider the Bundesliga to be top three in the world. I wanted to take this challenge to see if I can handle it.”
The 20-year-old had to quarantine on arrival in Germany and spent five days locked up in a hotel room, but it gave him a chance to watch his favourite TV shows.
But he admits that not everyone involved in football was able to understand his love for anime as he revealed why it's so inspiring.
He added: “I was watching anime.
“I was watching Naruto, Attack on Titan. Ever since I was young I’ve been really into anime. The first anime I watched was Dragon Ball Z. After I watched that, I had to watch all the different animes. Even now, every time I watch Dragon Ball Z, I’m like Pphew, that’s something,’ — it’s too good.
“My team-mates think it’s childish or whatever but they don’t understand. I think anime is good for motivation because the characters always set a goal. They want to be something. There’s always a struggle at the start, and eventually they get there, and I find that really inspiring.”
