Carlos Tevez defends trip to Disneyland after missing game for Shanghai Shenhua

Image: Carlos Tevez has been criticised for visiting Disneyland while Shanghai Shenhua played Changchun Yatai

Carlos Tevez has defended his visit to Disneyland while missing a game for Shanghai Shenhua due to injury, and rejected rumours of an imminent return to Argentina.

The 32-year-old became the world's highest-paid footballer when he joined the Shanghai club earlier this year in a reported £31m-a-year deal.

Tevez, who is currently on the sidelines with a calf problem, was photographed on Saturday at Shanghai Disneyland at the same time his Chinese Super League side were facing Changchun Yatai.

The Argentina international received criticism from a certain section of the Shenhua supporters, but he has since revealed he only went to the theme park after completing his training programme for that day.

Image: Tevez became the highest paid footballer in the world when he completed his move to Shenhua earlier this year

"That was my day off. I'm a normal person and it is normal to have a good time with my family during my time off," Tevez said through a Chinese interpreter in a video interview posted online Thursday.

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Despite being without Tevez, Shenhua managed to claim a 3-2 victory over Yatai.

Tevez also confessed in the interview that he "hasn't completely gotten used to" the Chinese Super League yet and needs to "adapt with the team and the CSL environment".

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Image: Tevez has also played down reports of a move back to Boca Juniors

But he seemed to pour water on rumours of a return to Boca Juniors, the club where he started his career and to where he returned in 2015 before making his Shanghai move.

"Me and my family all like Shanghai and I'm slowly getting used to the city and the atmosphere. I will stay here," he said.

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