Gideon Mensah: Leaving AJ Auxerre was 'difficult' after four years

Ghana defender Gideon Mensah has described his departure from French side AJ Auxerre as an emotional moment, saying the club had become "home" after years of uncertainty earlier in his career.

The 27-year-old left Auxerre at the end of his contract to join German Bundesliga side FC Köln on a two-year deal, bringing an end to four years in France.

Mensah joined Auxerre permanently from Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg in 2022 after spending several seasons moving between clubs on loan, including spells at Sturm Graz, Zulte Waregem, Vitória Guimarães and Bordeaux.

Reflecting on the move, Mensah said Auxerre offered him a sense of stability he had not previously experienced.

"It was a bit difficult. Before Auxerre, I'd spent most of my career playing for clubs on loan, mostly on one-year contracts, before going back to Salzburg," he told Flashscore.

"Then I spent four years at Auxerre. I arrived when I was around 24 and left when I was almost 28. It became a home for me."

The left-back admitted that walking away from a club where he had established himself was not easy, but believes the move to Germany represents an important step in his career.

"Leaving somewhere that you call home was difficult for me. But this is our work, and it's my career.

"At some point, you need to take risks and make sacrifices by leaving your comfort zone to see what else the world can bring to your career."

Mensah has already made a promising start to life in Germany, making his Bundesliga debut in FC Köln's 3-2 victory over TSG Hoffenheim at the RheinEnergieStadion on Saturday.

The Ghana international is expected to feature again when Köln travel to face VfB Stuttgart at the MHPArena this weekend.