Antonio Cassano insists he's ready to make his fourth retirement U-turn in the past year and return to action with a Serie A club this season.

Cassano hit the headlines 13 months ago when he signed with newly-promoted Hellas Verona before opting to hang up his boots just a week later after appearing in two pre-season friendlies.

But at the press conference in which he planned to announce his retirement, Cassano decided in the space of four hours that he would continue playing, before sensationally performing yet another U-turn a week later as he quit football.

Antonio Cassano was last seen in action playing at the Match of Colour charity game in May

Now the 36-year-old has announced he is seeking a return to action, telling Il Mattino that he still has much to offer despite two years out of the game.

'Remember [Matias] Almeyda, the Argentina midfielder who played with Parma and Lazio? He stopped for two years then started again with River Plate, who play in a physical league,' Cassano said.

'If I have the opportunity, I'll always make a difference. I'm 110 per cent, I feel good with my head and my body – as for the feet, I can play until I'm 60!

Cassano, who played for Real Madrid, AC Milan and Roma during the peak of his career, listed a wide range of Serie A clubs where he believes he would fit in.

The striker joined Hellas Verona 13 months ago before deciding to retire from football

'I often talk with my agent, he performs miracles,' the ex-striker added. 'I would like to play for a team near Genoa, where I live – maybe Bologna, Sassuolo, Parma, Torino…but also Empoli and Cagliari – because I cannot live without my family.

'There are things that make a difference for me, like accompanying my children to school.'

The former Italy international then took aim at the rest of Serie A, claiming that the league is not of the same standard as when he burst onto the scene as a teenager with hometown club Bari.

The former striker last featured at Serie A level for Sampdoria during the 2016-17 campaign

'Can I make a difference? In this league? Yes. Today's Serie A is a race with quantity, little footballing intelligence and quality. When I started at the end of the 1990s, there were absolute champions,' he added.

'I remember Fiorentina: They only reached sixth place with Edmundo, Gabriel Batistuta and Rui Costa. Apart from Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain and Miralem Pjanic, I don't see many champions around. Some of the players today wouldn't have gotten close to the training ground 20 years ago.'

Cassano was last seen in action playing at the Match of Colour charity game in May, alongside his former Roma strike-partner Francesco Totti in Genoa.