Bayern Munich’s Serge Gnabry recalls the tough parts of his journey to stardom

Bayern Munich’s Serge Gnabry has come a long way from his uneventful loan at West Bromwich, where manage Tony Pulis once infamously declared that the Germany international was “not at the level required” for West Brom.

It was an experience like that, however, that has helped form Gnabry’s current make-up as a player.

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“You always hear a little bit about it or people in the U.K. ask me about it,” Gnabry told CBS Sports. “It looks like it won’t stop, all I can say is I’m proud of the journey I’ve taken. To be a Champions League winner now when a couple of years back I was doubted is obviously a great thing for me. Most of all it’s a test of character. You have to leave your comfort zone, your friends, your family. It helps you a lot in building strong character because you’re in some way by yourself or in a whole new environment.”

Gnabry went on to talk about his journey in rebuilding his career.

“Of course, after having struggled a lot it was difficult to pick myself up,” Gnabry remarked to CBS Sports. “The biggest thing is that self-confidence, that I knew what I was capable of. I never lost that. Obviously, you doubt it at some points but I never lost it. The second biggest point in that way is I was playing a lot, not having so many injuries, so many little things that kept me out of games. To just be consistent and being able to play every time, showing my performance helped me for the future. If I can play, I can show what I can do.”

As far as Bayern Munich goes, Gnabry insisted that the players are not complacent.

“There’s always a point to prove,” Gnabry said to CBS Sports. “I hope we haven’t hit the pinnacle yet. The mentality of us players, of myself and I’m sure the team is to aim for another treble. Of course, we all know it’s going to be hard, but we have a lot of quality and the motivation is sometimes going to be difficult but every one of us picks the other up. I’m sure we can achieve a lot more than just having one great season.”

Finally, when asked about a potential return to England, Gnabry joked about already knowing his destination, as Arsenal would be “the favorite.”