Wojciech Szczesny has completed his shock move to Barcelona, coming out of retirement at the suggestion of international teammate Robert Lewandowski.
The goalkeeper only turned 34 this year but he decided to hang up his gloves in August, agreeing to terminate his contract with Juventus and head into retirement.
The former Arsenal stopper had been in Turin for seven years, making 252 appearances for the Italian giants and winning three Serie A titles.
Such is the quality of the Poland international that it didn’t take long for his phone to ring with an offer to come out of retirement waiting for him.
First choice ‘keeper Marc ter Stegen is out for a considerable amount of time after an operation on a serious knee injury and Barca wanted experienced cover for Inaki Pena.
Lewandowski got on the phone to his old Poland teammate and Szczesny couldn’t turn down the chance to join the Spanish giants.
‘He was probably the very first person to call me and speak about this and ask if there was a possibility of this happening,’ Szczesny said of Lewandowski.
‘It took some convincing because at the start I wasn’t sure If I’m ready for new challenges.
‘But then I spoke with my family and friends and everybody told me how stupid I’d be if I didn’t accept this so I agreed with them
‘Robert played a big part because He was the first person to have the idea in his mind to try to convince me.’
As a free agent, Szczesny has already been in Barcelona for a few days before confirming his move on Wednesday and he says he is loving the feeling around the place.
‘It’s a proud moment, a very proud moment,’ he said. ‘I was honestly ready for retirement and I was happy there. So I wouldn’t do this for anybody else.
‘To be here and in the first couple of days I’ve been in the city, to see how people treat me and how important this is for them. It makes me proud to be part of this amazing family.
‘Even though it’s a huge institution and a huge football club I feel the family within the first two days and this is a big thing for me. Because family has always been very important to me and now I’ve just extended it a little bit.
‘Huge fanbase I can see the passion of the fans, which is very nice. I’ve been to the stadium already, to the game.
‘The team looks amazing, so it’s exiting, it’s a challenge for me and it’s a challenge that i face with a lot of energy and a lot of enthusiasm. I’m ready for it, I want to put in the work and I’m looking forward to what’s ahead this season.’
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