De Gea on a year away from football: One of the best years, understanding that life can be possible without playing football

De Gea was interviewed on October 18 and talked about his feelings about joining Florence and being away from the game for a year.

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 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 didn't need to prove my worth. The only thing I longed for was to return to competing and playing 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."