I nearly quit football in 2005 - Pirlo (See Why HERE)

Andrea Pirlo has revealed how he nearly quit football following AC Milan's Champions League defeat to Liverpool in 2005. The midfielder was part of the Milan side who led 3-0 at half-time in the final, only for the Reds to score three goals in the second half and take the game into extra-time. Pirlo saw his penalty saved by Jerzy Dudek while Andriy Shevchencko also missed his spot kick as Liverpool won the match on penalties, leaving the Italian distraught. "The day I leave football is far away," he told Tuttosport . "But once the idea of quitting crossed my mind. "It was after the defeat of AC Milan in the Champions League final with Liverpool in Istanbul. For some days I really thought it was over. I had no strength left." The 35-year-old did, of course, opt to play on and has since gone on to become one of the game's most revered playmakers. Pirlo won the World Cup the following year, lifted the Champions League with Milan in 2007 then left San Siro for Juventus in 2011, where he has won Serie A in every season since his arrival. "I always knew I was good," he added. "I was better than the others. I was never worried about the pressures of being tipped to make it either. In fact, that gave me an even greater sense of responsibility. Knowing I was talented made me want to improve every day. "It's my life; it's what I always wanted to do and want to do. It's been occupying my days for 20 years, in good and in bad, and it taught me my place on earth. "I've learned lots, obviously - the first thing being never to forget to be grateful. The second is not to bear grudges because in football luck does not exist. "You can be lucky for a few years, but in the end your defects will emerge. The reality is different. People are watching you and those who know how to play will progress, while those who don't will remain in the lower levels." SOURCE: GOAL