Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka revealed he was "very, very close" to leaving the club in January and has thanked head coach Mikel Arteta for giving him a second chance.
Xhaka looked set for the exit after he was stripped of the captaincy in November for reacting angrily to supporters who jeered him when he was substituted during a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace the previous month.
The 27-year-old was also dropped from the squad for five matches, but he won back his place and, eight months on, is a regular member of the starting line-up again.