Vincent Koziello – Hatem Ben Arfa’s former teammate at Nice – has admitted that he is ‘sad’ to see the former NUFC winger being wasted at PSG, admitting that the Frenchman is struggling after being completely frozen out by ‘the club of his heart’.
Hatem turns 31 next week but doesn’t look any closer to getting his career back on track, having recently admitted that he feels like he ‘doesn’t exist anymore’ after failing to play a single game for the French champions all season.
Since leaving Newcastle in the summer of 2014, his career has gone from failing to play under Steve Bruce at Hull to scoring 18 times in Ligue 1 for Nice – a season former teammate Vincent Koziello will remember well, with it earning him his big move to PSG.
Here’s what he’s had to say about the winger today, admitting that he feels ‘sad for him’ after watching him rot in the PSG reserves:
“Hatem Ben Arfa tried his best at PSG, the club of his heart.
“I am sad for him and I think he is sad too.
“I don’t think I have understood everything that has gone on in that situation.
“I think that he absolutely had the abilities to succeed at PSG, especially in his first year.
“He tried his best at PSG, the club of his heart, and I think that he would have had regrets had he not done so before his career ended.”
There’s no doubt Ben Arfa will go down as a wasted talent, but I maintain that he is one of the most talented players (on his day) that we’ve seen at St James’ Park.
It’s been suggested that former Nice boss Claude Puel could hand him a lifeline at Leicester in the summer, however it’s a real shame to see how things have worked out for him over the past few seasons.
Here’s some of his greatest moments for NUFC:
