Stuttgart star Alexander Hleb admitted that leaving Arsenal for Barcelona last season was a wrong move in his ongoing career. The Belarusian signed for Barcelona after establishing his place with Arsene Wenger's team, but eventually failed to deliver the goods to Spain. Despite the Blaugrana's outstanding campaign last season, Hleb was a rare underachiever for El Tricampeon. "Of course I regret leaving Arsenal, " the on-loan Stuttgart winger told ESPN. "I was playing every week for one of the most exciting sides in Europe, a team which was always in the top four in the Premier League and were Champions League contenders." Wenger Praise In the same manner, Hleb lauded former boss Wenger, who admittedly helped him develop his game at Emirates Stadium. "Also, I was being guided by one of the best coaches in the world in Arsene Wenger. I owe him a great deal," he added. "I developed a better all-round game under him and I became more robust physically, learnt to look up more and play better passes and generally improved greatly as a team player. "No player ever gets worse under Wenger. For me, leaving Arsenal was not a good move." Hleb implied that his backup role with Barca overshadowed the joy he felt after winning the treble in his maiden season with Josep Guardiola's team. "A footballer only exists when he takes to the field and makes a proper contribution to the team," he said. "Even though I was part of a Barca squad that was almost unstoppable, it was hard not to feel detached from all the happiness and celebration at the end."
