Max Wober has admitted that he struggled leaving Austria for Amsterdam at the age of 19, but learned crucial lessons during his spells at Ajax and Sevilla.
The Austrian international penned a four-year deal with Ajax in 2017 and featured regularly during his debut season under Erik ten Hag. However, Ten Hag soon settled on a defensive partnership of Matthijs de Ligt and Daley Blind, while Wober saw his game time significantly reduced.
He joined Sevilla on loan in January 2019 but had his season ended prematurely due to a torn meniscus, and Wober has opened up on the difficulties he faced during that period.
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"I've had a lot of injuries, a lot of ups and downs," Wober told Kicker in 2021. "Of course, it's also relatively difficult for a young person who goes abroad at 19 and then lives completely alone for three or four years to find the motivation for things other than football during these difficult phases.
"Life is then often limited to playing the Playstation with friends in the evening and exercising. And that's about it. That was simply not enough for me overall and also made me unhappy.
"Of course, that also has an effect on football. On top of that, after the injuries, I wasn't physically at the level I should have been - I kept coming back too early. It all plays together and when you sit on the bench for the third game in a row."
Wober had played left-back during his brief stint at Sevilla, and returned to Austria to rebuild his career at Red Bull Salzburg. His time at the Red Bull Arena was a resounding success, and the 25-year-old is now proving himself at the highest level with Leeds United, and Wober believes his experiences in Europe have helped shape him both as a person and a player.
"I was able to take a lot with me, both football-wise and privately. I left Vienna alone when I was 18 and it was a great adventure to be alone in a new city and to leave the familiar environment.
"At Ajax there was a clear sporting philosophy that is similar to that of Barcelona. There was a lot that was new for me, I was able to learn a lot about positioning. Seville was a cool experience, unfortunately not for as long as I would have liked.
"But I learned a lot and played there for the first time as a left-back. The culture and mentality there was also very different and new to me.
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