During the Bianconeri’s forgettable trip to Liguria, Mattia Perin was one of the few bright lights within Max Allegri’s ranks. The custodian has been deputizing for the injured Wojciech Szczesny, and is yet to concede a goal after his first two outings.

The former Genoa goalkeeper managed to deny Mehdi Leris with a suicidal dive early on, registering a clean sheet at the expense of his old crosstown rivals Sampdoria.

Yet, the 29-year-old’s path since joining Juventus hasn’t been an easy one. After signing for the club in 2018, he found himself acting as second fiddle for Szczesny, while Gianluigi Buffon’s return in 2019 complicated matters even further.

To make things worse, he sustained a painful shoulder injury that year which put him on the shelf for a considerable amount of time.

Perin admits that he considered retirement at that point, before rediscovering his love for football thanks to the help of his mental coach.

“After the shoulder surgery in 2019 I also thought about quitting, I couldn’t take it anymore,” revealed Perin as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“Then I started working with Nicoletta Romanazzi, who is my mental coach. He gave me a great hand, helping me rediscover the love for football.

“From there I gained more awareness. My teammates make me feel important, as well as the coach and the club. It is something that I recommend to everyone, to improve themselves in everyday life.”

The Italian also stated that he has already accepted his backup role at Juventus.

“This is my job. When I chose to renew my contract I knew the situation well enough. I just try to be ready.

“Even when I know I’m not playing, I always prepare myself in the same way. This helps me when I am called into action.”