Newcastle United's Mathieu Debuchy chases down the ball during a league match against Reading at St James Park, on January 19, 2013. Debuchy has played down media speculation linking him with big-spending Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco by declaring that he is happy in England. (AFP/File)
LONDON (AFP) – Newcastle United right-back Mathieu Debuchy has played down media speculation linking him with big-spending Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco by declaring that he is happy in England.
The 27-year-old France defender, who joined Newcastle from Lille in January, has been linked with a return to France during the close season, but he says he is content at St James' Park.
"I don't know about the rumours saying I have been contacted by Paris or Monaco. I feel good in Newcastle. I want to stay In England. I love the Premier League," he told local newspaper The Chronicle.
Debuchy found himself pitched into a relegation fight upon arriving at Newcastle and he admits the pace of the English top flight came as a shock to the system.
"For me, the Premier League was a big discovery. Everything is much harder than it is in France. The game is faster and the teams are better, even the small teams," he said.
"I also had to learn a new language as I did not speak English. It was complicated, but right now it is better. I love England, even if it is different."
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