Arsenal outcast Albert Sambi Lokonga has admitted he 'almost snapped' last season after growing frustrated with his lack of first team football - and that he was 'p***ed off' by his exile from the Belgium squad too.
Lokonga joined the Emirates from Anderlecht last season in a deal worth around £18million and was tipped for big things by his former boss Vincent Kompany, comparing him to his old Man City team-mate Yaya Toure after captaining the side at the age of just 21.
However, his time in north London has not gone to plan and he struggled to make an impact during a difficult first half of the season in the 2021-22 campaign, before finding himself out of the team under manager Mikel Arteta.
He made 12 starts last season - most of them in the first part of the campaign - with another seven coming off the bench and Lokonga said he came close to demanding an exit, before opting to give himself another year to impress his boss.
'Honestly, it's difficult. I'm at one of the best clubs in England. I could have played somewhere else every weekend, but that wouldn't have been the right solution for me.
'It's a personal decision [to stay at Arsenal]. I wanted to give myself another year to stay at Arsenal and then see what happens,' he told La Derniere Heure, via the Evening Standard.
'At the end of last season, I almost snapped,' he added. 'I called my agent to ask him if staying at Arsenal was a good idea. He comforted me in my choice, even though I know I need to start more often to develop.'
This season Lokonga's prospects look even more bleak. He's started just twice in the league so far and has been restricted to mainly cup appearances.
But it's not just domestically where Lokonga has been overlooked. His inactivity on the club scene has also hurt his prospects internationally for Belgium - where coach Roberto Martinez has left him out of the last couple of squads.
He was particularly irked by the ex-Everton boss calling him up in March and then failing to play him.
'I called him the day after the international match in March. I was really p***ed off,' he added. 'I thought for a moment that I didn't even want to play for the national team anymore. I was disgusted.
'Martinez said he preferred players who are playing regularly at their club. He was also not completely satisfied with my training. I don't think he can portray me as a bad boy who doesn't work hard. It would be too easy to put up such a picture of me. He can't use something like that to justify why I don't get to play.
'If I'm already on the bench while De Bruyne, Hazard and the other stars are not there, then I don't stand a chance if they are in the selection. Maybe Martinez doesn't believe in my qualities or he doesn't like my style. But I'd rather he communicate that clearly. I would have accepted his decision without hesitation.'