Thursday 17 January 2019 11:42, UK
Giuseppe Rossi is back with the Manchester United family and looking to make up for lost time as the free agent steps up his search for a new club.
The Italian, who came through United's academy, is back at the club sharpening his finishing and fitness after a period punctuated by injury problems.
Rossi left Old Trafford for Villarreal in 2007 before a string of serious knee injuries threw things off kilter - setbacks that have failed to dim his hunger and positivity.
A free agent since leaving Genoa in the summer, the 31-year-old arrived last week from his New Jersey base as soon as the invitation came from former team-mate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to train with United's first-team.
"This just shows you how much of a family Manchester United is," Rossi said. "They have always taken care of their players.
"It's a real privilege to have this opportunity and be given this opportunity. It feels really good.
"When I heard about this opportunity it just brought so much joy.
"It's great to be playing with these exceptional players that I've been training with. It's helping me stay fit and stay sharp because if you're not sharp they'll definitely be on you.
"I make sure that I'm doing the best I can to better myself but also to help the team do the right things in training."
"It's great to see him in high spirits and great to see him just being about here on the football field. We were talking and talking and he still remembers the transfer fee when I got sold."
Rossi felt like a giddy teenager again when strolling back into Carrington, but this is not just a walk down memory lane. This is a chance to prove himself at a crucial stage of his career.
"I just love this game," said Rossi.
"I sacrificed so much in these years, I've had many highs, I've had a few lows with these injuries that have taken a lot away from me but I never stopped.
"I always want to keep trying to achieve, keep trying to achieve, keep trying to get better and I just love this game so much that nothing's ever going to take me away from it.
"It's a part of me and I want to keep fighting and keep doing what I have to do in order to be where I want to be."
Rossi's finishing has impressed even Sir Alex Ferguson, who handed the striker his first-team debut.
"I had breakfast with him at Carrington the other day," Rossi said of Ferguson - a man he believes is "the best manager who ever lived".
"We were talking and talking and he still remembers the transfer fee when I got sold.
"Just think about it: it was 11 years ago and in that 11-year span there have been hundreds of transfer fees and he still remembered my transfer fee when I went to Villarreal.
"It's great to see him in high spirits and great to see him just being about here on the football field."
