Leeds United defender Cody Drameh admits he was unsettled by former manager Marcelo Bielsa's criticism of his decision to join Cardiff City on-loan in January.
Bielsa revealed publicly that he was keen to keep Drameh due to the state the squad found themselves in. However, the former Fulham youngster had his heart set on a move away to a place where he knew he would be playing on a regular basis.
Speaking to Wales Online, he said: "It's not a concern for me [ahead of returning this summer], but at the time, it did affect me, I won't lie. It did affect me mentally.
"I've never been in the spotlight before, so seeing my name in a negative light, which it hasn't really been before, affected me mentally. But I had to learn from it and try and rise from it, I think I have.
"I just saw it as a new challenge in Cardiff and a chance for me to grow and develop as a person."