MONTEVIDEO — Former Manchester United and Atletico Madrid striker Diego Forlan said Tuesday that he felt "like a little boy", after swapping his soccer boots for a tennis racket at the age of 45.

Forlan was speaking at the launch of the Uruguay Open, where he will make his professional tennis debut next week.

"I enjoy it (tennis) like a little boy, and having the privilege of playing a professional tournament is a luxury," Forlan said at the Carrasco Lawn Tennis Club in Montevideo, which will host the tournament from Nov 10 to 17.

Forlan, who retired from the Uruguayan national team in 2015 and from club football in 2019, will play doubles with Argentina's Federico Coria, the 32-year-old brother of Argentina's Davis Cup captain, Guillermo Coria.

The winner of the Golden Ball for best player at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, who played tennis before becoming a professional footballer, has just made his debut on the over-40 circuit of the International Tennis Federation.

He said he was excited to compete on the courts where he played as a child.

"It's a gift, so I don't have to prove anything to anyone. I'm still a former football player enjoying a sport that I played from a very young age," he said.

He cited among his tennis heroes Uruguay's Diego Perez, Marcelo Filippini and Pablo Cuevas, but also expressed admiration for Spanish legend Rafael Nadal, whom he described as a "fighter".

'Having a good time'

The Uruguay Open, part of the ATP's second-tier Challenger Tour, is the country's biggest men's professional tennis tournament.

Besides Coria, it will also feature fellow top-100 players Francisco Comesana and Thiago Monteiro.

"I try to prepare in the best possible way, but I am clear about the fact that I am not at the level of professional players," said Forlan.

"Firstly, there is a significant age difference, even though I am in good condition physically."

He added that he knew "it will not be easy at all", and that "those who come here, come to win".

"I do that in every sport, all the more so at professional level," he said, promising to do his best "and have a good time".

Over the course of his club career, in Spain, Forlan was twice crowned La Liga's top scorer.

He also won the Premier League with United in 2003, the Europa League with Atletico seven years later, and helped Uruguay win the 2011 Copa America for a record 15th time.

Forlan said that, while he had "greatly enjoyed" his time on the pitch, he played "much more tennis "now.

"The truth is, I would never have imagined that I would have the opportunity to play tennis at a professional level, not even close," he said.

"It's a sport that I play, and that I have fun with, but I don't dominate it in the way I did football," he said.

AFP