Former Southampton Forward Explains Why He Quit Football Aged 30 to Pursue Rock Star Lifestyle

Former Southampton striker Dani Osvaldo has told La Gazetta Dello Sport why he quit football aged just 30 and became a rock star.

The Italian is remembered by Saints fans after joining for a then club record £15m in 2013, but a fight with teammate Jose Fonte eventually led to his departure. Spells at Juventus, Inter, Porto and Boca Juniors were to come before he retired in 2016 after being sacked by the Argentine club.

Now, Osvaldo is the singer of his rock band, 'Barrio Viejo', and revealed why he had enough of football and chose to quit during his time at Boca. He said: "Too much gossip, I could not get out of the house. I was afraid of the people, I could not do it anymore. "

He also told how Sevilla boss Jorge Sampaoli tried to get him to join the Spanish outfit in 2016, but Osvaldo declined to pursue his newfound rock star lifestyle which he definitely prefers. 

Osvaldo said: "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."

He also said how he lost his appetite for the beautiful game and preferred a more relaxed approach to life. He explained: "I was beginning to hate what I'd always loved. Football deserves respect, and I prefer asado [Argentine barbecue] and beer to money."

Osvaldo, now 31, can be seen rocking it out on YouTube on Barrio Viejo's channel, which has just over 1,500 subscribers. Four of the band's songs have been uploaded to the channel, massing a respectable total of nearly 180,000 views.