Tomasson: Italy has hardened me

Milan's Jon Dahl Tomasson has said that life in Serie A has "hardened" him

Milan star Jon Dahl Tomasson has reflected on 10 years of playing professionally and has discussed a life after football.

For the 28-year-old Denmark international, playing week in week out at Milan may seem a world away from Danish second division side Koge, where he began his career.

The last decade has taken Tomasson from such humble beginnings to Italy via Holland, with spells at Heerenveen and Feyenoord - not forgetting his less than successful spell at Newcastle.

Tomasson's Milan contract ends in 2009, but he is already making plans for a career once his playing days are over.

"The fear must be to end up in a big black hole as an ex-footballer, where you don't know what's going to happen," he told Danish paper BT.

"As a professional player you are taken care of.

"I have heard a lot of stories about players who have struggled in their lives after their career is over."

Tomasson said he does not want to encounter such problems, but the plans he has made - he spoke of a return to education and investing his money - will remain plans for the forseeable future.

"Things change all the time, so it's only good to have a plan," he said.

The striker compared the differences in culture between the "friendly and polite" world he knows in Denamrk, with the "wild experiences" of Milan, adding that life in Italy had "hardened him".

"I admit also that sometimes it can be hard to travel down to Italy again when I have been in Denmark with the national team," he added.