Florian Thauvin Reveals the Reasons Behind Controversial Exit From Newcastle
Former Newcastle flop Florian Thauvin has spoken out about his treatment on Tyneside.
After making a name for himself in Ligue 1 with Marseille, Thauvin moved from the French giants in August 2015 for £15m, but failed to make an impression in the Premier League.
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Speaking in an interview with Onze Mondial, Thauvin explained the reasons for his early exit, saying: "I made the wrong choices in the past, no one was there to help me at that time, and that’s why I got it wrong."
Once dubbed the ‘New Zidane’, the mercurial talent endured a tough time at the Magpies - making just 13 top flight appearances in his first season. He then returned to his former side Marseille in January 2016 on loan, before making a permanent move to southern France that summer.
Reflecting on his time under McClaren and current manager Rafael Benitez, Thauvin also seemed to suggest he wasn't given enough support and had already made up his mind.
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"I wasn’t playing at Newcastle," he said. "I ended up at this club lost, no one talked to me. My phone never rang. I had my family and my girlfriend.
"That’s when I decided to grab the bull by the horns and said ‘I’m going back to Marseille and I’ll make a name for myself’."
Since then, the 25-year-old has enjoyed a much more successful spell in France, replicating his old form to register 22 goals and 11 assists in just 35 league games last season.
With eight goals in all competitions this term, Thauvin has been linked with several European clubs including Bundesliga heavyweights Bayern Munich – leaving many Newcastle fans all the more baffled by his disappointing stint in the top flight.
