Rossi: Why I'm back at United

We remember you scoring against Burton and playing so well in the cup replay against Burton but you felt the time was right to go out and further your career…
'I was 20 years old and I wanted to taste more first-team football and show the world I was capable of playing at a high level. I thought it was time to show that and I had the opportunity to go [permanently] to Villarreal, which was a very good decision. I played many, many years there in La Liga and scored many goals to show the world what I was capable of doing.'

Was it hard coming over from Parma at an early age, even if you did go back there on loan to score the goals to help them stay up?
'I was very young. I'd had five years over there in Parma, then had the possibility to go on loan there for six months and play first-team football. They were great times in their youth system but, whenever you get a call from such a big team like Manchester United, you definitely don't think twice and that's the way I thought about it.'

Have you missed any other parts of Manchester since you've been away?
'Truthfully, I miss this training ground. This is something that I've never seen anywhere I've been. The atmosphere at Old Trafford is something that I've never felt anywhere outside of it. Those are the things I really do miss but it's just great to be back here and just to be around this facility and this club.'

Did it not feel strange in a way to you, coming back to an environment where you had spent so much time?
'No, it was strange for the first couple of days, definitely. Leaving when I was a young kid and coming back as a man, with a lot of games under my belt, it is kind of strange. I still walk around these corridors and feel like I'm still a young 17-year-old kid who just came to the club.'

You've managed to go out in Manchester - and tried to visit Juan [Mata]'s restaurant…
'Yeah, it was closed. He definitely didn't tell me that! But I went the day after and it was very good.'

You're still only 31 so you have plenty of years of football ahead of you…
'I'm still young, I'm still young! I've got a lot of quality football in me and I came here to show it.'

Have you had any thoughts yet on what you'll do after football?
'I'm still focused on what I've got to do and that's playing football.'

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