Andres Iniesta has opened up about how his winning goal for Spain in the 2010 World Cup final came after one of the worst periods of his life.
Speaking to The Guardian about his new book, "The Artist," the Barcelona midfielder explained how low he sunk after the sudden death of his friend, the captain of Espanyol at the time, Dani Jarque in the summer of 2009.
Jarque died from heart failure while on a preseason tour of Italy after he collapsed in his hotel room in Coverciano.
Iniesta, 32, said he would not call it "depression exactly, not illness either, not really, but an unease. It was like nothing was right."
He uses the word "free-fall" and says he was the "victim of something that terrified me."
There were several occasions during that 2009-10 season when he was unable to complete training sessions, and he subsequently sought support.
"When you need help, you have to look for it: at times it's necessary. People are specialists; that's what they're there for. You have to use them," he said.
"There are moments when your mind is very vulnerable. You feel a lot of doubts. Every person is different, every case. What I'm trying to explain is that you can go from being in good shape to being in a bad way very quickly.
"I never reached the point of saying: 'I'm giving up.' I understood that I was enduring a delicate moment but I took refuge in my people and, above all, in football.
"I never felt I didn't want to continue playing. I knew one day I'd take a step forward, maybe the next it would be three, then five... it's a process and that's how you overcome it."
That season ended with Iniesta scoring the extra-time winner against Netherlands as La Roja won the World Cup.
As he peeled away to celebrate his goal, he took off his shirt to reveal a vest with the words "Dani Jarque -- Always with us" written on it.