AC Milan fullback Alessandro Florenzi admits he considered retirement this season.
Now 32, Florenzi was hit by a hamstring injury earlier this term.
That was in August and he has made only one appearance since. The veteran said: "There was a small moment when I thought about looking for other roads during these months. But luckily my family made me think hard about what I wanted, and the truth is that when I saw the ball again all those thoughts went away.
I'm happy to be back, this break was a godsend for me. I was able to continue working but I did it on the pitch with my teammates.
"I've grown physically and athletically and now I feel ready to help the team even more."