A FORMER Premier League star has made an incredible return to the pitch, almost 10 years after swapping the stadium for the stage in an unlikely career switch.
Ex-Southampton and Italy striker Dani Osvaldo returned to after pursuing a music career with his band for the last nine years.
Osvaldo, 39, was once Southampton's record signing after his £15million move in 2013.
While his career saw him play for the likes of , , , and .
But after struggling to settle on the south coast and finding himself setting off on a number of unsuccessful loans and free transfers, Osvlado retired from the game at 30 to focus on his band Barrio Viejo.
It was reported at the time that Osvaldo .
Back then he told of feeling “liberated” by a move away from football, and compared to life away from it.
“There are so many many rules in football. So so many rules. And I'm not good with the rules. I like to be free,” he said.
“I am proud of my career and I owe everything to football. But in football you have to live a life that's not real.”
However, almost a decade on from that decision and Osvaldo has returned to football for the first time since a brief six-month spell at Argentine top division side Banfield in 2020.
The 14-time international, who was born in , has now gone back to his childhood club Huracan to play for their senior over 35s squad in his first match for almost five years.
And it certainly didn't look like he had been gone for so long, as he scored in a 3-2 win over former club Banfield.
Osvaldo's professional career was riddled with headline-making moments for the wrong reasons.
The star punched Roma teammate in the face after the ex-Spurs man didn't pass to him in a defeat against Udinese in 2011.
While during his time in the Premier League he was slapped with a three-match ban and fined £40,000 for violent conduct during a win over .
As well as being given a two-week suspension by the Saints just a matter of weeks later for a training ground bust up that saw him headbutt teammate .
Away from football Osvaldo has battled with alcohol and drugs,
On his , he said: “It's hard for me to make this video because I've never done anything like this before.
“But I think the time has come because I'm quite desperate and I'm not doing well.
“I don't know if it's a cry for help or if I just feel the need to talk about it because I've been dealing with a lot of depression for a long time.
“This depression made me fall into some addictions – alcohol and drugs. And the truth is that I'm at a point where my life is slipping out of my hands.
“I'm undergoing psychiatric treatment and taking medication. I have a very specific illness. Lack of self-esteem, depression. I often fall back into my addictions.”
