Gervinho’s old comments on his Arsenal exit and former Gunners boss Arsene Wenger have resurfaced. The Ivory Coast star had hit out at Wenger for not showing confidence in him during his time at the Emirates.

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport in 2013, Gervinho said that he was enjoying life under then AS Roma manager Rudi Garcia. He added that it was his dream to play for Arsenal, but things changed because of the way he was treated at the club as reported by Sportkeeda:

“He (Wenger) never had confidence in me,” said Gervinho (Roma coach Rudi Garcia) doesn’t differentiate between those who are playing and those who aren’t playing. That’s important for a player. He doesn’t only speak to those who are playing. He talks to everyone, as there are 25 players in the squad, not just 11.

“As a child, I dreamed of playing for Arsenal because I loved them. Now I hate them for the way Wenger treated me. However, I regretted leaving the club after such a short time without being able to show my worth, which I’m now doing at Roma instead.”

Gervinho played 63 matches for the Gunners before he was sold to AS Roma. He managed just 11 goals for the Gunners but scored 26 times in 88 matches for the Serie A club.

Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger explained decision to sell Gervinho

Arsene Wenger explained in 2013 that he sold Gervinho because the forward had lacked confidence. He said that the Ivory Coast star was skillful but wasn’t confident in the final third (via the Daily Mirror):

“I made that decision (to sell Gervinho) because he looked to play with a lack of confidence, especially at the Emirates. He is a very creative player, an instinctive dribbler, and, for that, you need a lot of confidence to be completely efficient.

“I felt that in the last six months it was very difficult for him to express his talent in a confident way. Then you sit there and think, ‘do I bring him back, or does he need a new challenge to get that confidence back?’ And I did not want to stop him from getting a new chance.”

Gervinho has retired from international football and is currently without a club. Arsenal, meanwhile, are third in the Premier League – a point behind leaders Liverpool (15) and level on points with four-time defending champions Manchester City.