Carles Puyol reveals retirement thoughts

Barcelona captain Carles Puyol has revealed that he nearly retired after a serious knee injury.

The defender was sidelined for the majority of last season and has only recently returned to full fitness following an operation.

"These were eight months of suffering," the 33-year-old told Antena3. "I had a hard time because I could not see a solution: I experienced loss of strength in my leg and I could not play.

"I even thought about quitting football."

The Catalan club are currently top of La Liga.