Eight months after retiring from football at the age of 27,
Sebastian Deisler claims he is finally growing up as a person away
from the sport.
The former Germany international called it a day after a series of
injuries and a bout of depression, taking a step back from the
world of football to concentrate on having a normal life.
He has practically gone into hiding and not been seen in
footballing circles, and in his first interview since quitting
Bayern Munich in January, he spoke of his new life.
"The business (football) took over me," Deisler said. "I never had
time to grow, never the time to become an adult.
"I did not even have time to make errors in life.
"I came to the realisation that I was not made for this
business."
Deisler put his Munich villa up for sale recently and has been
living back in his native Berlin in more modest surroundings in a
city centre flat.
A more normal life away from the public glare has allowed Deisler
to recharge his batteries and recover completely from a knee
problem which had troubled him throughout his prosperous
career.
"In the end, I was totally empty," he told the Tagesspiegel am
Sonntag newspaper. "I was old, I was tired and I had run so much
that my legs could not carry me anymore. I could not do anything
more."
