Juventus captain Giorgio Chiellini has confirmed that he will play for at least one more season and confesses he’d love to work with Pep Guardiola.

The Juve veteran has missed much of the current season with an ACL injury that could have put an end to his career.

“I think that if it had happened 10 years ago, I wouldn’t have had the peace of mind to accept it,” he told Martina Colombari on Instagram.

“At 35, with all the experience I’ve had, I can understand it’s a passing phase and you turn that into the energy to recover. I have improved overall in my mentality, because when I was younger, I’d use up a lot of energy by getting angry. I have a fortunate life, so remembering that in bad moments helps you focus that anger.”

Chiellini continued to study while playing for Juve, earning a Masters’ Degree in Business Administration.

“I was already playing in Serie B at 19, so I didn’t get to study. When I had some free time, I thought why just go on the PlayStation? I’d do something different and managed to get the three-year degree done in four years thanks to a study plan.

“There are those who are 17 years old and have so much pressure on them, so many expectations that it ruins their careers. I am grateful that I had trials at Juventus, Inter and Milan, but Livorno insisted on keeping me, because it meant I got to have a normal adolescence.

“In my view, there are two really difficult things about being a professional football player. The first is keeping your feet on the ground, the second is dealing with solitude. You need mental strength within you to emerge from those dark moments. Family also helps, as the business makes you become more egocentric, so at home you’re brought back down to earth.

“Future plans? I will play another year, then I’ll see how I feel and how my legs hold up. I could retire next summer or have another season after that. I would like to continue in the world of football, probably more a directorial role than management, but you never know in life.

“I hope to be able to play in the delayed Euro 2020, so I can also act as a nanny to the talented young players in the squad. It’s coming full circle.”

Attention turned to coaches and one in particular that Chiellini has admiration for.

“I watched that documentary on Manchester City and you can see the charisma of Guardiola really is special, even with weaknesses.

“For someone who is passionate about football, you can immediately tell the greatness. I have not had the good fortune of getting to know Guardiola, I only saw him from a distance.

“Until Conte arrived, a defender was just a defender. He’d focus on simple things, not creating moves from the back, but he insisted from the start that we could create too. Antonio asked a lot from me and gave me just as much in return.

“Allegri and Conte were genuinely special coaches for me and helped me mature tactically. Marcello Lippi was able to read situations more than tactics, he had a clear and honest rapport with everyone. I was a bit too young when I worked with him to really appreciate that.

“I was a Milan fan growing up and still was when I started playing in Serie A. My brother and father supported Juventus, while my mother shared my Milan love. When I signed for Juve in 2004, it did not go down well.

“There used to be a more family feel about clubs in Italy, such as Massimo Moratti’s Inter or Silvio Berlusconi’s Milan. The world is changing, and we have to adapt too, but there is some nostalgia and respect for that era.

“Ibra? He is the opponent who got the best out of me. He was 24 years old and so strong physically, just the fact I could keep up with him and showed no fear earned me his respect. I had to give my best every time against him.

“Unfortunately, Cristiano Ronaldo scored many, many goals past us before he joined Juventus, so thankfully he is now my teammate! He is on another level, you can tell that and it’s only right to admit it.

“When you have a champion like this, you need to get the most out of him.”