04.09.2014 17:13 h

Yanga-Mbiwa looking to rekindle France career at Roma

Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa (r)
Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa (r)

French international defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, loaned by Newcastle to AS Roma, is hoping the move will act as a springboard back into the France squad, he said on Thursday.

"Roma want to win the Scudetto. I'm in a good team. It's up to me now to do what I can to play at a maximum in the starting eleven," Yanga-Mbiwe told a press conference.

"If I play regularly, I don't see how I wouldn't have a chance to return for Les Bleus," said the player who has three caps for the national side.

Yanga-Mbiwa, 25, won the Ligue 1 title in 2012 with Montpellier before joining Newcastle the following year.

The English club loaned him this season to Serie A runners-up AS Roma for 1 million euros ($1.3m) with a 5 million euros ($6.5m) option to buy.

AS Roma's French coach Rudi Garcia lost his top defender when Mehdi Benatia headed for Bayern Munich, but the arrival of Yanga-Mbiwa will help him rebuild along with Leandro Castan, Kostas Manolas and Davide Astori.

"(Garcia) convinced me to come because he's a competitor and he wants to win the championship," said the defender.

"I want to lift trophies too and it would be a pleasure to share this with him and the team."

He added: "In England it didn't really work out because we don't have the same vision of things, or maybe I didn't adapt ... I hope to flourish here and show everyone that moving to England was a bit of a mistake."