Mark Gower has revealed that he became "disillusioned" with life at Swansea City during his final few months with the club.
The 34-year-old, who had his contract with the Swans terminated at the end of the season, recently joined Charlton Athletic on a one-year deal.
"It turned out to be a great loan move for me and got back my appetite for the game. Coming from Swansea, I was out in the cold and a little bit disillusioned," he told BBC Sport.
"To not be playing for eight or nine months at a time was really difficult for me to take. I train because I want to play at the weekend. I don't just train to pick up my money. I want to play football."
Gower spent the second part of last season on loan at Charlton.