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German international Lukas Podolski has penned an emotional farewell letter through his official Twitter account to Arsenal fans days after completing a move to Turkish club Galatasaray. Podolski later tweeted a short video as well showcasing his best moments with the Gunners and said that the club will always be a special place to him.
Describing Arsenal fans as the best in the country, Podolski said that he will remain a Gunner forever in his heart. He also feels the club has it in them to mount a serious challenge for the Premier League title in the 2015/16 season.
“To the fans, the best fans in England, who have supported myself and the team no matter what, you will forever hold a special place in my heart & I will forever be a Gunner,” Podolski tweeted.
Podolski moved to Arsenal from FC Koln in the 2012/13 summer transfer window. After a bright start, he found himself in and out of the team towards the latter stages of his career at the Emirates. In spite of having a decent return of 31 goals and 13 assists in his 82 appearances for the North London club, Podolski found himself on the bench too many times for his liking after falling down the pecking order behind the likes of Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez.
A loan spell to Inter Milan during the second half of the 2014/15 season also didn’t work out the way Podolski would have hoped for and the player opted for a fresh start in Turkey. Capped 125 times for Germany, Podolski agreed a three-year contract with the Super Lig champions on Saturday after failing to secure guarantee over a regular starting berth at Arsenal.
The 30-year-old, however, had no complaints and was all praise for the entire team at Arsenal – right from the coaching staff to the manager and his teammates.
“Over the last three years I’ve had the pleasure of working with some amazing people at Arsenal. I want to thank everyone from all the staff behind the scenes to the manager & my teammates, who have all helped make London a second home to me, “ Podolski says in the open letter.
Here is Podolski’s tweet in full:
Podolski also put up a short 15-second video featuring some of his memorable moments with Arsenal, including lifting the FA Cup in 2014 and celebrating with his son at the Emirates. He didn’t forget to take a dig at North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur either, with a ‘#WhoisTottenham’ hashtag included in the tweet, a move which will win over any Arsenal fan who was unimpressed with Podolski.
