Veron: I hated my time in England

Argentina midfield maestro Juan Sebastian Veron has launched a scathing attack on the Premier League, claiming his spells at Manchester United and Chelsea almost made him walk away from the game.

The former Lazio star endured a miserable three years in English football as the Red Devils and Chelsea paid a combined total of £43.1 million for his services.

Having left Stamford Bridge in 2004 in a loan move back to Serie A, the Argentine veteran failed to make the impact he had made a few years earlier in Rome, and opted to move back to Argentina where he returned to his first ever club Estudiantes.

Despite being expected to vanish from the limelight, Veron has returned to the international fold and is now playing a pivotal role in coach Diego Maradona's attempt to lift the World Cup as a manager.

"I wandered around Europe like a gypsy, without ever finding happiness or somebody who understood me. That's why I went back to Estudiantes," Veron told reporters.

"I was tired of being a wanderer. England has a spectacular Premier League but that's it. They don't train very much and there were no proper warm-ups at Manchester United.

"Paul Scholes would turn up and fire off a shot, without warming up, from 50 metres towards the goal even when it was minus five degrees.

"I did that once and I pulled a muscle from my knee to my hip. I was never happy in England and my time there made me question my desire to continue playing.

"I've never seen this sport as a business, even if it is my trade. I'm still enjoying it and I love the idea of still being competitive and in a club where I more or less grew up.

"I'll be giving up the national team after the World Cup but hopefully I can continue playing for a little longer. I would never have dreamed that I'd play in three World Cups."

The 35-year-old was a surprise inclusion for the squad travelling to South Africa, having displaced both Esteban Cambiasso and Pablo Aimar.

However, having starred in group wins against Nigeria and Greece, Veron has proven he still has what it takes at the highest level and looks instrumental in pulling the strings in Argentina's bid to win the World Cup for a third time.

Having had the weight of his country on his shoulders in 2002, Veron was quick to dispell any truth in the claim that Argentina rely solely on Lionel Messi and warned his team-mates that to do so would be a very dangerous and ultimately costly tactic.

"As a team we mustn't depend solely on Lionel [Messi]," warned Veron.

"If we lean and depend only on him I think we will be on the wrong path. We all have to work at it and he has to feel the same as he does at Barcelona.

"Everyone wants Messi to be able to do for Argentina what he does for Barca and yet they are two worlds apart. He spends the whole year at Barca whereas we are together only once a month for three or four days.

"It's impossible for him to do the same things in such a short space of time."

Veron also spoke about the pride he felt having played alongside coach Maradona and gave an insight into the managerial approach of arguably the greatest footballer ever to have played the game.

"The fact that I played with Diego Maradona is an honour," he added.

"It was the best thing that ever happened to me. His words, his passes, his outbursts, everything that he did and that he does takes on an incredible dimension.

"Diego likes to be close to his players. He talks a lot and still has the soul of a player. He is very involved in the life of our squad.

"Before the World Cup he went to Europe to see several players to talk to them one to one. That shows how much he is committed to the cause."