Marc-Andre ter Stegen is happier now his rivalry for the number one spot at Barcelona with Claudio Bravo is at an end.
Germany international Ter Stegen is back in his hometown to face Borussia Monchengladbach in Champions League Group C on Wednesday.
During the first two seasons after leaving Borussia for Camp Nou, Ter Stegen shared goalkeeping duties with Bravo – his Chilean counterpart remaining first choice for LaLiga matches as the younger man was largely restricted to cup competitions.
But Bravo moved on to Manchester City last month, claiming Barca's decision to push Ter Stegen ahead of him in the pecking order was a key factor in his decision.
Speaking at a pre-match news conference at Borussia Park, the 24-year-old would not go so far as to say he would have left Barceloina without being first choice, but was pleased a "solution" arrived.
"That's a question that's very difficult for me to answer because that wasn't really the situation," he explained.
"What the situation was we both wanted to play and everybody wants to give 100 per cent out on the field and play as much as possible.
"In the end we found a solution, actually he found a solution that was the best fit for him.
"What I can say is I'm here at Barca and I don't want to think about other teams and everything else. It's not about me.
"We know what happened and I'm leaving it to the side because it doesn't worry me right now. I'm thinking 100 per cent about the games now, not what happened in the past.
"I don't want to say that the situation isn't good if you're not playing but, for me personally, the situation has improved and that's what counts."
Ter Stegen is looking forward to seeing old friends in Gladbach, especially goalkeeping coach Uwe Kamps, who he hailed as a huge influence on his career.
"He's one of the most important people for me at this club, clearly," he added. "We still have a very good relationship and we stay in contact. We speak not just about football but also about things going on in our private lives.
"I'm more than happy to be able to come back to see people that I love and who love me and to have the opportunity to see them."
