Nabil Bentaleb has admitted that part of him wishes he was still at Tottenham Hotspur.
The Algeria international was a regular in the Spurs team during Mauricio Pochettino’s first season in charge in 2014.
An ankle injury at the start of the 2015/16 season kept him out for three months and when he returned to full fitness he could not displace Eric Dier, Mousa Dembele or Dele Alli in midfield.
This had a bad impact on his attitude and he did not start another league game for the club.
He was loaned to Schalke in 2016 and sold the following season.
“I got injured and when I came back, I wanted to play so bad that I had some arguments (with Pochettino),” Bentaleb told the Independent. “I was a little bit frustrated, and I was learning basically. Being on the bench is a learning curve.
“I know I made mistakes. But they helped me learn, as a man. And they don’t stop me from sleeping at night. And if I was 24 right now, and I had been at Tottenham, I don’t think I would make the same mistakes.
“I would be a hypocrite to say that I would not like to be there, and I am not a hypocrite. But this is football.
“England gave me the chance,” he added. “Where I am from, in France, no-one gave that to me. So I am forever grateful to Tottenham, the whole club, the administration.
“They gave me an opportunity to make my dream, to realise my dream. I grew up from 16 in England, and I left at 20. I spent a lot of time there, made lots of friends. I love that country, I love the football over there.”
The 24-year-old has kick started his career with the Bundesliga side and is preparing to face Manchester City in the last-16 of the Champions League on Wednesday.
Leroy Sane could line up against his former club when Schalke host Manchester City live on talkSPORT at 20:00 on Wendesday 20 February