Hatem Ben Arfa has signed for French Ligue 1 side Nice following his release from Newcastle United.
The playmaker fell out of favour with both the Magpies and Hull City, who terminated his loan spell early after coach Steve Bruce was unimpressed with the player's attitude - and his contract at St James' Park was terminated on Sunday.
The 27-year-old has signed an 18-month contract with Nice and been handed the No4 shirt, marking his return to France almost four-and-a-half years after leaving Marseille for the English Premier League. Ben Arfa revealed he spoke with club director Julien Fournier, under whom he worked at OM, and close friend Mathieu Bodmer before joining them at Nice.
He told L'Equipe: "I also spoke to the coach (Claude Puel), I liked his integrity and his approach to football and within ten minutes, my choice was made. Even if Real Madrid had called at that moment, my mind was made up!
"There are people here who trust me, who do not judge me as some people want to judge me through the press. I wanted to return to France, where I grew up. At Nice, I think I can express myself. I am coming here to enjoy myself, to help the club improve with my qualities, and to win."
source: fifa.com
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