Danny Rose has opened up on his struggles with football amid a break from the sport.
The 32-year-old, who last played for Watford before his contract was mutually terminated last year, has been without a club since September. Speaking after Newcastle's 6-1 demolition of Tottenham, Rose appeared emotional as he revealed he stopped watching football altogether. The full-back added that he didn't even tune in to watch the World Cup.
Rose began his career at Leeds before moving to Tottenham in 2007, where he burst onto the scene with a stunning long-range volley against rivals Arsenal on his Premier League debut.
Making 214 appearances for the north London side, Rose was loaned out to Newcastle in 2019. His exit under Jose Mourinho was well documented in Amazon Prime's All or Nothing series. The left-back eventually moved on permanently to Watford in 2021 but could only turn out nine times for the Hornets, before taking a break from football altogether.
Opening up on Sky Sports, Rose said: "It's obviously no secret I've been away from football and I've deliberately not watched any football. I didn't watch any of the World Cup.
"It was only until the other night I watched City in the Champions League - and watching it, listening to the music, I started to think 'OK I miss it'.
"I haven't been to a stadium in a long time and the feelings, you know, I love football, is a lot to do with the atmosphere but just seeing how they play football and that feeling after three points has just reignited some feelings within myself."
Rose was on punditry duty for Sunday afternoon's clash at St James' Park in which Newcastle obliterated Tottenham. Eddie Howe's side scored five goals in just 20 minutes leaving Cristian Stellini's men reeling at half-time.
And the full-back didn't hold back on his former side at the interval. "Jamie [Redknapp] told me you have to have the right personnel to play a back four so I was wrong there," he said.
"There’s been so many mistakes and all I’ve been thinking all first half is how am I unemployed? To be five nil down after 20 minutes is unheard of for a club that are supposedly a massive club."
Kieron Dyer, who also played for Newcastle, added: "I’m in disbelief. I thought Newcastle would win the game but to be five nil up after half an hour was just incredible. There was a lot made about Conte when he came out about his own players - about the Spurs players - and this is why he gave the outburst.
"Everything that he said in that press conference has come true. Spurs, the players, they cost the managers their jobs, they’re that bad. We touched on the full-backs being a problem, the centre halves have been poor, the midfielders have been poor, I think Skipp’s the only one who’s really tried and they’ve been put to sword."
