Takehiro Tomiyasu has explained his sudden departure from Arsenal.
On July 4 it was announced that the defender had left the Gunners due to mutual permission.
Tomiyasu struggled with injuries during his time in Arsenal and only appeared one appearance last season, which met Southampton.
Tomiyasu undergone an operation in February and stays with a knee problem and it is quite unusual for players to leave a club while they are still sidelined.
Tomiyasu stated that he feels less anxious after leaving the club.
He said to Dazn Japan: 'It was not a sudden decision to leave.
“First of all, I want to make it clear that my contract has ended unilaterally and I did not say unilaterally:” I'm leaving. “
'I was there for four years, but I only played five minutes in the 2024-25 season and I spent a whole year in rehabilitation.
“I was under a lot of stress and fear. To be honest, the feeling that I was more there and I wondered: “Is this where my future is?”
Tomiyasu revealed that some of his teammates were surprised by his departure.
He said: 'After I decided to leave, I said goodbye to the players, coaches and employees. I went to the dressing room or staff room one by one and said, “I leave.”
'As I said, my farewell to everyone, I was reminded that I was loved, and that was when I could leave.
“I think that's a good thing. The players were also surprised because I still had time left on my contract and I was injured. '
Tomiyasu signed for Arsenal from Bologna in 2021 and played 84 times for the Mikel Arteta team and scored twice.
He has been covered by Japan 42 times since he made his international debut in 2018.
Tomiyasu, mainly deployed on right back, is also able to play left-back or center-back, whereby his versatility has been seen as a useful asset by Arteta.