The Tigres forward hyped up the Mexican league prior to his return to the France national team for upcoming friendlies against Germany and England.

CLAIREFONTAINE, France — France forward Andre-Pierre Gignac once thought a move to Liga MX would put an end to his international career, but he will once again represent his country after receiving a call-up for the upcoming friendlies against Germany and England.

The 29-year-old left Ligue 1 club Marseille for Tigres last June and helped the Mexican side reach the Copa Libertadores final, and now he will have an opportunity to impress Les Bleus coach Didier Deschamps with the hope of earning a spot on their Euro 2016 roster.

"I received pre-selection, evidence that there was still a connection between us," Gignac said during a news conference. "The evidence also that it was not a bad choice to play in Mexico. I can tell you that the Mexican league is exciting and attractive. I recently said it would be 100/1 odds for me to return to the France team.

"The Mexican league is underrated. After playing in the Libertadores Cup and going to the final, that's strong enough to be back, no? In my head it was a 95 percent chance I'd need to forget about Les Bleus. There are people who thought it was a golden retirement. I did not go out (to Mexico) on vacation. I wanted to prove that Europeans did not come to make fun and take money from Mexico, I want them to have a good image of France and that we have a good image of Mexico."

Gignac calls life in Mexico "exotic" and praised the competition in the region. Despite receiving offers to play for bigger clubs in Europe after finishing the 2014-15 season as the second-highest scorer in Ligue 1, he doesn't regret moving to North America.

"I think I made the choice to leave for what is an unknown championship in France," he said. "There are some players who have called me since that I speak to about my club and their situations. I think I can be a precursor as some are now interested in the Mexican championship."