Manchester United stalwart Paul Scholes considered quitting the club last season due to injuries and loss of form.
This season has seen him become the most exciting player at Old Trafford, winning rave reviews for his performances and increased calls for a return to the national side.
But last season Scholes considered giving up on football.
"At Christmas last season I did not think I would be playing in this one," he admitted.
"I wasn't playing well enough. The season before last I had an injury for three months and then from Christmas onwards my form wasn't brilliant. Leading up to Christmas last year it still wasn't great.
"I wasn't playing as much as I would have liked but you need to be playing well to get into the team.
"I set myself high standards. I want to feel as though I am contributing to the team. If I am not doing that what is the point of being here."
The midfielder was also full of praise for his manager Alex Ferguson and how he has handled the older players like himself, Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs.
"The manager has handled me, Ryan and Gary the same way for the last couple of seasons and I am sure this season will be no different," he said.
"If I am playing well enough, maybe I will play 25 or 30 games. You want to play every game but at our age, you can't."