The striker captained La Roja to glory at Euro 2024 in the summer but came very close to ending his career at international level as his mental health suffered following questioning from pundits and supporters.

Morata told Cope radio: "When you have really tough moments, depression, panic attacks, the job you do doesn't matter, what job you do, the situation you have in life, doesn't matter.

"You have another person inside you, and you have to fight against them every day, every night. For me it was best to leave Spain. The moment came when I couldn't stand it."

Morata suggested before the Euros that he was thinking about moving abroad and said he was going through a "bad time" when he made those remarks.

The AC Milan star explained: "I had a really bad time. The moment came when I thought I wouldn't be able to put my boots on again. Three months before the Euros, I was thinking whether I'd be able to wear the Spain shirt again, and be captain. I was thinking if I'd be able to play again.

"I don't know what was happening to me. I felt embarrassed to be with my kids, to go out into the street... Every time I went out with them something would happen, people would ask about football, talk about something that had happened in previous games.

"In the end, (my kids) didn't want to go to the supermarket either. People said so many things to me that I was embarrassed to be with them."