Alvaro Morata has admitted 'there came a time when I couldn't lace up my boots' as he opened up on his battle with 'depression' in recent years.
The former Chelsea and Real Madrid striker recently took his talents to Italy as he joined AC Milan in the summer, after his triumph with Spain at Euro 2024.
Morata captained the side throughout the tournament as they went on to lift the trophy after a dramatic 2-1 win over England in the final.
However, the Spain star has now admitted that just months before the tournament began, his mental health struggles made him question whether he could step out onto a pitch again.
Speaking to El Partidazo, Morata said: 'When you have really tough times, depression, panic attacks, it doesn't matter what job you do, what situation you have in life, you have another person inside that you have to fight against every day and every night. For me, leaving Spain was the best option; I couldn't stand it'.
Despite this, he overcame his problems to help captain Spain during Euro 2024 this summer
The Spaniard made the move to AC Milan in the summer fresh from captaining Spain to the European Championship title after beating England in the final.
Morata's £10.9m move from Atletico Madrid was confirmed as the forward made the switch to Italy and has enjoyed a decent start to life at the San Siro, scoring two goals in six games across all competitions.
Speaking more on his time in Spain, he said: 'I had a really bad time. I thought I wouldn't be able to put my boots on and go out on the pitch again.
'But hey, thanks to a lot of people, from Simeone, Koke, Miguel Ángel Gil last year, my psychiatrist, my coach... we are what you see on TV and on social media but often it's not real.
'You have to give an image because it's your job. I had a really bad time, I exploded and there came a time when I couldn't lace up my boots, and when I did I would run home because my throat would close up and my vision would start to blur.
'Three months before the Euros I was wondering if I would be able to play another match. I didn't know what was happening to me but it's very complicated and delicate. At that moment you realise that what you like most in the world is what you hate the most, it's complicated.
'Every time I went out with them I always had some episode, sometimes without malice, with people about something that had happened in previous games.
'And, in the end, they didn't want to go shopping either, things that a normal father does with his children.
'There came a time when they said so many things to me in front of them that I was embarrassed to be with them. I was an easy joke, a joke to make the person next to you laugh.'