Alessandro Del Piero insists that he made the correct decision when he opted to sign for Sydney FC last summer.
Del Piero scored 236 times in 573 matches for Juventus, before signing for the A-League outfit last September.
Speaking in an interview with Corriere dello Sport, the 38-year-old was adamant that he had made the right move and enthused about his new life in Australia.
"Every day that passes I am convinced that, for me and for my family, I made the right choice," he said.
"If I wanted to experience life in a country closer to Italy, and I speak not only of distance, I could have accepted other offers. But I really wanted a change. And here I found the best opportunity to find one.
"Italy is my country and I miss it. But I do not suffer the trauma of separation because I'm fine in Australia- I know that I'll return. What I do not miss (about Italy) is a certain aggressiveness and rudeness which, unfortunately, I find not only widespread in society but also in the world of football."
Del Piero, with 13 goals in 23 league games, is one of the A-League's top scorers, though Sydney only sit sixth on the table.
However, this has not dampened the Italian's passion for the game and he revealed that seeing similar positivity amongst supporters has encouraged him to want to stay.
"This is one of the most positive parts of my experience in Australia, one of the things that convinced me to stay in Sydney for another season," the former Italy international added.
"Here I was greeted with great enthusiasm and passion. There is a great desire for football in general and a great respect and love for the sport and its champions.
"Football is not Australia's main sport, it is not a tradition, but today it's in the newspapers and on television- the interest increases day by day. Sport is seen as an integral part of life and culture. And those who love the sport in all its forms, like me, feel that every day."
