Robin Koch has claimed it was the right time ‘to make another change’ in his career following his departure from Leeds United in the summer.
Koch was speaking to Sports Illustrated Deutschland where he provided an assessment on his time at Elland Road, insisting it is a club that ‘really means a lot’ to him.
The 27-year-old was one of eight senior members of last season’s first team squad to leave in the summer in the wake of Leeds‘ relegation from the Premier League.
So far, Koch is one of very few of those players who have made a successful start at their new club, with Frankfurt sporting director Markus Krösche praising the impact he has had on their defence this season.
It is almost guaranteed Koch will not be returning to Leeds upon the end of his loan spell, with his contract at Elland Road set to expire at the end of the season.
Koch says it was ‘right time’ to leave Leeds
With that in mind, Koch has broken his silence about his time at Leeds, insisting he will always have fond memories of the club despite it being the right time to move on.
He said: “It has always been a dream for me to play in the Premier League and experience English football there – and I have fulfilled this dream.
“In my three years at Leeds, I have felt very comfortable so far and have developed further as a footballer and as a person. The club really means a lot to me. But it was time for me to make another change in terms of sport.”
Also in the same interview, Koch spoke of his aspirations of returning to the Germany squad ahead of next summer’s European Championships, and he would’ve had no chance of that had he been playing in the second tier.
However, it would’ve been interesting to see if he took the same tone had Leeds survived in the Premier League, as clearly the main reason for it being the ‘right time’ was relegation.
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