INTERVIEW

The ex-Arsenal hopeful is rebounding from tragedy at Trabzonspor, and tells FFT about Turkey’s finest perks, side hustles... and surprise calls from Arsene

How did your loan move from Stoke to Trabzonspor happen last summer? 

Last year was a tough year, with my daughter passing away. I just felt like I needed to be away from England for a little bit, so I was looking abroad. A few teams in the Championship came in, but I wanted to experience something else to clear my head – it felt like the right time after coming back from a long-term ACL injury [on loan at Bristol City last season], to start enjoying my football again.

How are you finding Trabzon so far? 

I’ve got my wife and two kids out here with me – our apartment is right next to the beach, so they’re enjoying it. For them, it’s like an extended holiday! In England, you hear about the big three clubs – Fenerbahce, Galatasaray and Besiktas – but Trabzonspor are the fourth-biggest in Turkey. The fans are amazing – they might not be allowed in stadiums right now, but the amount of messages you get is crazy. There’s only one team in Trabzon, so everyone knows who you are. I scored twice in my second appearance, then went out to a restaurant the next day. When the bill came, they told me, “Don’t worry, you paid for this yesterday.” When it’s all going great, it’s brilliant. But when you’re not winning… [Laughs] Just stay at home, basically!