Paolo Di Canio: "The club had a conservation with him, but with his strong character, he said 'I feel a footballer, I want to stay here and prove it'.
"Because I'm an intelligent manager, I didn't have any preclusion to anyone doing that.
"He was the perfect professional to have in a squad and what a player. He hasn't stopped for one minute in a training session.
"My pre-season is very tough, but he hasn't had any problems."