De Gea on a year away from football: One of the best years, knowing you can live without football

De Gea was interviewed and talked about joining Fiorentina, his experience of being away from the game for a year and other topics.

Joining Fiorentina

"When I arrived in Fiorentina, I felt immediately at home. The Viola Park training ground is amazing and it had an impact on my final decision. But not only that: with the staff, team-mates and club employees, I felt like I was in a big family. I am enjoying my time in Fiorentina and loving the environment here. Fans It's special and one of my favorite things is watching the fans in the stands singing. And finally this city, it's one of those cities that I'm lucky enough to live in. It's small but comfortable to live in and the food is special. All those aspects made me decide to stay and bring the desire to win trophies for the team."

How does it feel to be away from the game for a year?

"I learned that it was possible to live without playing football, and I must say that, from a personal point of view, it was one of the best years of my life. Because I had the opportunity to spend more time with my family, and because of my continuous job at Manchester United, I was I hardly saw them. The only thing I missed the most was not being able to experience the atmosphere of the locker room, but I am a person who really likes to stay at home and be with my family, and that was what I mainly did that year.”

Can you tell us about that call from Fiorentina?

"During the year off, I had been training and felt that I was ready and did not need to prove my worth anymore. The only thing I longed for was to return to compete and play in the top leagues, other leagues were not suitable for me. My wish was to live in Italy and play there, so when the call from Fiorentina came, the decision was an easy one."