Eduardo on his Arsenal return: ‘Glad to be back but I’m a Shakhtar player now and will give my best’
By Pete Wilson
18 October 2010
Eduardo has been speaking at The Emirates Stadium this evening about his return to the venue as a player with Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League, just a few months after leaving Arsenal.
The Croatian international striker from Brazil was sold to the Ukrainian Premier League team to make way for Marouane Chamakh; he wasn’t forced out but it was obvious he would be down the pecking order.
“It was the hardest decision of my career to leave,” he said. “When you spend three years at a club you have great moments but some problems, as when I was injured. But I’m nearly 28 and I think I made a good decision to play for Shakhtar - it’s a very big club in Europe. This is life.”
He also said: “I’m glad to come back here. It was nice to spend three years with Mr Wenger and with Arsenal. I had great times but now I’m the other side and I play for Shakhtar. I will forget it and give my best for Shakhtar.”
Eduardo and Arsenal are a combination that cannot now be remembered without another association - the horrific injury he suffered at Birmingham in 2008 that kept him out the game for a year and arguably cost him his Arsenal career.
Of that he said this evening: “The injury’s passed. I don’t like to talk about it. Now I’m 100 percent fit and I play football again and I’m enjoying the moment with Shakhtar.
“It’s a very nice city and the club is very good. The stadium is one of the best in Europe, I think, We have everything for training and for play. We have about seven or eight Brazilians and they help me. It’s great.”
Will be rejoice in a goal if he scores against Arsenal?
“It depends, I think no. I spent three years here and had great moments here and I have respect for the supporters, for Mr Wenger and the club. I’m the other side and I’ll give all the best tomorrow. If I score it will be good for Shakhtar and I hope tomorrow we can finish with a positive result.”
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