GOAL

Carlos Tevez says that he is appreciative of the lavish lifestyle that football has afforded him because he grew up in an area in which "drugs and murder were part of everyday life".

The Juventus striker has explained how his childhood friend Dario Coronel, who was considered an even more exciting prospect, was lost to a life of crime

The Juventus ace was raised in Buenos Aires, in the notorious Barrio Ejercito de Los Andes, which is more commonly known as Fuerte Apache. His best friend as a child was fellow footballer Dario Coronel, who was considered by some coaches and scouts to be an even more promising prospect than Tevez.

Tragically, though, Coronel got involved in a gang after moving to Velez Sarsfield and reportedly took his own life as a 17-year-old in order to avoid being arrested by the police.

Tevez, by contrast, went on to become one of the most revered forwards in the world game.

"My whole childhood was hard," the striker explained. "I lived in a place where drugs and murder were part of everyday life. 

"Experiencing difficult things, even as a very young kid, means you grow up quickly. 

"I think that enables everyone to choose their own path and not just pick the one others have taken before you, and I went my own way. 

"I never condoned drugs or murder, and luckily I was able to make a choice.

"Everyone decides for themselves what they’re going to do. Dario had everything he needed to be just as successful, but he chose a different path – criminality and drugs – and that ultimately meant that he is no longer with us. 

"He is, or was, my best friend. We were together 24 hours a day, even though we later went to different clubs and things like that. But we were always together, all day long.

"But I truly believe that everyone chooses their own route through life, and he – and this has nothing to do with luck – chose the easier option."

Tevez, who joined Juve from Manchester City in the summer of 2013, inspired the Bianconeri to a record Serie A points haul during last season's title-winning campaign and has proven even more prolific this term, netting 14 times in 25 appearances thus far.