Daniele De Rossi rejects Manchester City interest to stay at Roma

Daniele De Rossi has revealed he was tempted to leave Roma before signing a five-year contract extension with the Giallorossi.

The 28-year-old midfielder ended months of speculation about his future by putting pen to paper on a deal which will see him remain with the Eternal City outfit until July 2017. “What drives me to stay here,  to do my job with so much passion is this team, this city and its  people,” De Rossi said. “What I  desire is here.”

The Italy international had been strongly linked with a move to the English Premier League, with Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini admitting last month the tough-tackling midfielder was the "perfect man to improve City" before adding: "if we get the right signals [from Roma], it is worth trying [to sign him].'

Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid have also been long-time admirers of De Rossi, whose combative style has won him many admirers down the years.

“The negotiations have been lengthy and I cannot deny that I  had doubts,” De Rossi said. “I thought of many things, of alternatives and I spoke to many people during this time. I wanted to stay only if I was welcomed by the fans.

"Last year I saw the love from the fans towards me diminish and the fact that some of them questioned my strength as a player made me think of seeking alternatives. There was also the thought of ambition, the idea of playing somewhere else, to face the top teams in the world, not that we don’t have that possibility here.

"|Those things fascinated me and I did speak to other clubs. I was very tempted to see if I had the strength to play elsewhere. But in the end I made a choice not just of the heart but of the head. I have not remained here just to be a tourist in Rome and see the Coliseum.”