Ex-Prem star Marko Arnautovic admits not taking Chinese Super League seriously

Ex-Premier League star Marko Arnautovic has admitted he underestimated the Chinese Super League prior to his move to Shanghai SIPG.

The former Stoke and West Ham forward moved to China in July last year in a £23million switch.

Arnautovic had been a key player for both his old clubs in the English top flight, even attracting interest from Man Utd at one stage.

But after turning his back on the Premier League for a payday in Asia, the 31-year-old accepts his standards slipped completely.

As reported by Beanyman Sports, Arnautovic said: “I underestimated it. I didn’t train. I didn’t look after my body. I was eating. I was drinking fizzy drinks – Sprite, Coca Cola, Fanta – all these sugar drinks that are not good for the body.

“Eating at wrong times. Not sleeping, because when I came to China it took me about three weeks until I could adapt to the time. I went to bed at 6, 7 o’clock in the morning. I woke up 3, 4 o’clock in the afternoon, went to training, stayed up again all night, eating at wrong times.”

Arnautovic had pushed for an exit at West Ham in a desperate bid to complete a switch to China.

He eventually left the Hammers six months later and is believed to have boosted his salary from around £130,000 per week to a staggering salary worth over £10million a year for Shanghai, with his contract running until December 2022.

Was Arnautovic right to move to the Chinese Super League? Have your say below.

So far the striker has chipped in with 14 goals in 23 appearances by way of a return and has now changed his approach to playing after careful consideration.

“This is exactly what I said before,” he added. “Now I just put in my mind the club wanted me to come, to do well, to play for the title, and I changed because I need to do better and I need to be better. Otherwise you can’t play here.”

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