When I was talking with Shanghai, I was talking to big clubs from Europe, as well. There was Atletico Madrid, who I almost joined. I liked them very much and what they were offering me at the time. There was also Juventus, Inter Milan, and AC Milan. I had some options.
I played for Sampdoria and stayed there 15 years. Of course, I could have gone to Juventus, to AC Milan, to Inter Milan many times, but I preferred to remain because Sampdoria were my family, from the owners to the players.
I feel Mehr has brought in a lot of changes in me. She has made me understand a lot of things and there's a lot of gratitude towards the universe and people now. It has made me a better person and a better performer. It has made me realise the value of family and of my own parents.
With all due respect, but Juventus are not Real Madrid or the AC Milan of Ronaldinho's days. They can win games 6-2 or 5-2. Juventus are not like that. We have to win 1-0 or 2-0. It's in the club's DNA. That does not mean we will not try to win 3-0, but we are a team that cannot concede a goal when we are ahead.
Milan are like my family; I have done some good and some less good things during my career, but the club have always helped me so much.
In 2008 or 2009, every big club wanted me: Juventus, Inter, Milan, Barca, Real, Chelsea, Manchester.
The minute Juventus came calling, I knew it was the right choice for me. They have the same winning mentality as me.
To those who call me a mercenary I say that I also had interest from abroad, where I would have earned more. I have chosen Milan because, in my head, there is the idea of repeating the course I had at Juventus, where we had started rebuilding, as in this case, and we came to the top.
My rule is, whatever you were calling me four years ago is what you should be calling me now, because I don't like it when my family or close friends call me Nicki Minaj. To me I'm not Nicki Minaj when I'm with them.
When I started soul-searching, I tapped into the old me and what I grew up around. I learned a lot about myself, and it really made me appreciate my upbringing.
No one in my circle calls me 'Travis.' Even my family, at a young age started calling me 'Travie.' So I want people to feel comfortable calling me 'Travie.' It's almost like inviting people in.
In my adolescence, everyone would like to play in Italy: Roma, Milan, Lazio, Juventus, Sampdoria, Napoli.
Belly made me aware that you could write songs that were mysterious or vulnerable. Their guitar-led music was in some ways very simple, the opposite of the pop music I was brought up with, like Michael Jackson. It made me realise music was something that you could be part of, make in your room.
I've turned down Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus and Manchester United to play here. I hope everyone already knows how much it means to me to play for Newcastle United.
But I can tell you I myself have made many mistakes. Things sometimes I would be ashamed to admit. But if it weren't for those mistakes I wouldn't have seen the beauty in me. I wouldn't have awoken the goddess that lives in me. You see, goddesses although immortal were all flawed. They were all a bit extreme at their calling, and they were all betrayed and hurt at some point. They were even considered devious but what made them unique was their strength.
In the 1990s, we had seven great teams - Milan, Inter, Juventus, Parma, Lazio, Roma, Fiorentina. If you look at the players, they were great players, but there was some crazy investment, and some teams went bankrupt, like Parma and Lazio.