The captain of the Spanish national team and AC Milan striker Alvaro Morata has spoken out about his experience with depression in the months before he led Spain to the 2024 Euros triumph in Germany.

Morata who many saw in a celebratory mood while leading the after for the team after winning the trophy, had gone through terrible experiences during the buildup to the tournament, in which he considered retiring from football.

The former Real Madrid, Chelsea, and Atletico Madrid striker went ahead to play all seven matches for Luis De La Fuente’s side but revealed that he wondered if he would ever play another match just ninety days before the tournament kicked off in Berlin.

Before he decided to leave Spain, he revealed there were depression and panic attacks during the time he was playing in Spanish, after which he realized it was best to leave the country and seek a club somewhere else – precisely Italy, where he scored twice in five Serie A games this campaign.

“I thought I wouldn’t be able to put my boots on and go out on the pitch again. What people see on TV and social media is most times not real, and it’s just an image because it’s our job, but often I could not do simple things like lacing up my boots, and there were times I went home early because I could not speak and my vision became blurry.” Morata said.

The 31-year-old moved to Milan from Atletico Madrid this summer, having led Spain to winning the Euros 2024 in Germany. The Spanish national team became the first to win the men’s Euros four times after beating England 2-1 and lifting the trophy on the pitch at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium.

Spain will play Denmark on Saturday in a match-day three fixture of the Nation’s League.