Lucas Perez insisted his spells with Karpaty Lviv and Dynamo Kiev helped him mature and eventually make it to Arsenal.
Arsenal forward Lucas Perez says his time in Ukraine helped him mature and realise that he had to do everything within his powers to get a move to a big club.
The 28-year-old joined Karpaty Lviv in January 2011 and also enjoyed a spell with Dynamo Kiev before moving to PAOK in July 2013.
Perez then joined Deportivo La Coruna in 2014 and earned himself a move to Arsenal this year.
"A few of us got the chance to go and play in Ukraine - I went along with two other Spaniards," Perez told Arsenal Player.