Julian Draxler's concerns about what the "pressure and expectation" at Schalke would mean for his long-term career prompted his move to Wolfsburg.
The highly rated youngster signed a five-year deal with Wolfsburg on the Bundesliga's Deadline Day, ending his 14-year association with boyhood club Schalke.
The attacking midfielder has long been rated a future stalwart for Germany, while many at the Veltins Arena expected him to be critical to Schalke's hopes of a breakthrough Bundesliga title.
"I became convinced that I would not manage to withstand the pressure and expectation at Schalke," he told Kicker.
"Even after six months of injury, I felt that I should decide matches almost single-handedly. Because of that I realised that it was time to go, and there are other ways of doing things."
With the likes of Andre Schurrle, Max Kruse, Vieirinha and Daniel Caligiuri to challenge him for a spot in Dieter Hecking's Wolfsburg line-up, Draxler reckons the Lower Saxony-based club will force him to improve.
"I have the feeling I now must provide even more in training to get games," he said.
"This is exactly what I need."
Draxler added: "At some point [with Schalke] I had the feeling that I am personally being rather hindered because I've had to deal with many things other than football."
