Football
Ben Gladwell, Italy correspondent 6y

Sebastian Giovinco: My life is in MLS - but I did consider Serie A return

Sebastian Giovinco has admitted he did think of returning to Italy, but now says is happy and settled at MLS franchise Toronto FC.

The 31-year-old forward left Juventus for Canada in 2015 and was named the MLS' MVP at the end of his first season, in which he scored 22 goals in 33 games.

He lifted the MLS Cup last year, after losing out to Seattle Sounders FC in 2016, and said he is now so settled in North America that he no longer contemplates returning to Europe, even though the thought did cross his mind in the past.

"I thought about returning to Italy, to be honest, but now my life is here," he told Sky Sport Italia ahead of the MLS All-Star game with Giovinco's former club Juventus. "I've got two years left on my contract and then we'll see."

Giovinco hit double figures in each of his first three seasons in MLS after doing so only once in eight Serie A campaigns, when he scored 15 for Parma in 2011-12.

He said he has found it easier to score in MLS than he did in Italy, although his and Toronto's struggles this season are evidence that the standard is improving, even if he says it has a long way to go to match Serie A -- particularly now Cristiano Ronaldo has joined his former club.

"MLS is still a long way from the standard of football in Europe, but it is growing and improving fast, which is why I'm happy here," he said. "[Ronaldo's] a big signing for the whole football movement in Italy and for Juve, I don't think anybody expected it, yet they've made a great signing.

"I certainly hope they can win the Champions League. CR7 says he wants to be their lucky charm and maybe he will be."

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