After playing over 200 games for Schalke, Benedikt Howedes secured one almighty sea change after being loaned to Juventus in 2017.
Despite his lack of game time in Serie A, the 31-year-old still looks back at his time with Juventus very fondly.
“The year before I came, every player got a Ferrari as thanks for the championship, or if he did not want a car, a monetary bonus in the appropriate amount,” Howedes told Goal and SPOX .
“That already shows, which level prevails there. Nevertheless, there was no resentment or bragging in the dressing room.
“The team spirit at Juve was phenomenal. I was extremely impressed by how the boys dealt with each other.
“When I first came into the dressing room, I was really excited. But absolute legends like Gigi Buffon or Giorgio Chiellini came to me beaming, kissed me left and right and were glad that I was there. That was an overwhelming feeling and blew me away.
“Juventus is a big family, and I was completely respected and accepted. Although I did not play much, I was very much appreciated there as a person and a player.”
Howedes was particularly blown away by Italy legends Buffon and Chiellini during his time in Turin and revealed just how inspirational they could be.
“Although both have already achieved everything and won countless titles, they are still hungry for success. They want to be successful every day,” he said.
“That impressed me. I still remember a pre-match talk from Buffon. Although he only sat on the bench in this game, he gave a very emotional and almost poetic speech.
“At Juve, the team spirit was lived – even by players who sat on the bench. There were no egos, only the team and that was great.”