You have turned the boos into applause with your most recent performances. Was it tough to realise you didn’t have the backing of the fans?

“I’ve been booed at every team I’ve played for, just as I have been cheered too. That’s because of the way I play. If I am fit and well I can contribute a lot, but if I’m not there physically then I can’t give my best. Sometimes if you don’t have the strength to run back, you save it to make a good run forward. And that’s all things that the fans notice.

"Sometimes I’ve appreciated the boos. When things are going well it’s clear, but when they are going badly you need that reaction from the fans. It is the sort of thing that personally gives me a bit of a kick, I tell myself, ‘Okay, maybe it’s better if I go into training two hours earlier now’. The fans saw that I wasn’t quite right, and my wife and my mother noticed too. It was tough for my family throughout the year, they were aware that something wasn’t right – coming here every month and asking me about my fitness. And if they could see it, then of course the fans could see it every Sunday at the stadium. These are things that make you reflect. At the end of the day this is the passion for all of us, but it’s a job as well and we have to respect the fans that support us.”

You might be spoilt for choice on this one, but which player have you enjoyed playing with the most?

“There are lots that spring to mind. For my game, the best striker I’ve played with is [Edinson] Cavani. I like assisting goals and I’ve had a good connection with lots of players, but it was best with him. He’s a lethal striker. I can’t not give a mention to [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic too. If you take everything into account – the mental side of things, as a team-mate… He’s the player that most inspired me to improve. If you watch him in training you learn. We’re still in contact – I’m very close to him.”

How did living in Paris change you - you were a young guy when you went...

“The first year was a bit difficult because the language and culture were different. I was younger, less open and very shy. I didn’t speak to my team-mates and other people as much – I wasn’t good at socialising with them. I was very young and I got a bit demoralised. I thought I’d never be able to learn French – I just couldn’t understand it. It was a mental thing. But from the second year onwards I got down to it, put my shyness to one side and started to talk. I didn’t speak the language well but I didn’t care – the most important thing was making myself understood. From that moment on I was able to build a bond with my team-mates and the city, together with my wife. I realised that Paris is a magical place. I became a man there and my daughter was born there too – I was only a lad when I became a dad.”

Do you have a favourite goal?

“The one I scored for PSG against Chelsea in the Champions League. I came on with five minutes to go and out of an ordinary move scored a great goal that nobody was expecting. That’s one of my best.”

How much has Italian football changed since you first came to the country?

“Nowadays you all defend and attack as one. It was different ten years ago. However, when I first arrived I was young and all I thought about was having fun.”