Juventus hero Claudio Marchisio admits he was close to moving to England during his career.

Marchisio announced his retirement last week.

He told the Daily Mail: “The rhythm and the physicality of the games have always fascinated me. As well as the concept that the fans the most important thing, they ask to see your shirt dirty with sweat, as a symbol of the battle on the field. The big plays are important, but they always come after the sweaty shirt.

“In terms of business and organisation, the Premier League and Championship are two extremely fascinating Leagues.

“Let's say that the English experience fascinated me, but spending all my career at Juventus was my priority as a player.

“It cannot be said that I was close to any English team, but there was interest from the Manchester teams and Chelsea. But Juventus has always been my priority, so real negotiations were never started."