Ex-Southampton striker Dani Osvaldo retired because he prefers "barbecue and beer"

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The ex-Juventus hitman-turned-rocker explains why he turned down Jorge Sampaoli's offer to join Sevilla last year

Dani Osvaldo

Osvaldo, who was signed by Mauricio Pochettino at Southampton for a then-club record £15m in 2013, retired from football last summer having been a free agent for three months following his release from Boca Juniors.

He told Boca he was leaving in order to pursue a career in rock and roll.

Over a year later, the Argentine forward – whose best form came with Espanyol and Roma between 2010 and 2013 – insists he had no regrets retiring aged 30.

"I decided to quit at Boca, there was too much gossip," Osvaldo told Gazzetta dello Sport.

"I couldn’t go out, I was afraid of people. I couldn’t do it anymore. I had offers from China and clubs in the Champions League, but I was detached.

"I was beginning to hate what I'd always loved. Football deserves respect, and I prefer asado [Argentine barbecue] and beer to money."

Osvaldo also revealed his bizarre reason for not joining Jorge Sampaoli's Sevilla last December.

"Do you want a laugh?" Osvaldo began. "In December 2016 Sampaoli contacted me, he was at Sevilla at the time.

"He said to me: ‘Dani, I’m not asking anything of you, you can do what you want on the pitch and off, but I need a striker’.

"I told him ‘but boss, there’s the Cosquín Rock festival!’. He said ‘I forgot! Go, of course, you can’t miss it’. Two crazy people."

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