Rejuvenated Kaka says football is a joy again

Real Madrid's Brazilian international Kaka, who seems to have put an injury-plagued two years behind him, said Thursday that playing football is once again a joy for him.

Kaka joined Real from AC Milan at the end of the 2008-09 season for around 65 million euros but a series of injuries stopped him from displaying the form that helped him win the World Player of the Year award in 2007.

The 29-year-old appears to be back on track this season, scoring the second goal in Real's 3-0 Champions League win over Ajax last month and set-up French international Karim Benzema for the third.

"I am enjoying football again. During all this time that I was sideliend, injured, when things were not working out, the passsion for the game did not go away but it fell asleep a bit," he said during an interview with Real's TV station.

"Everything on the pitch seemed difficult for me and so football no longer was a pleasure. That is not the case now. Now it is a pleasure again, feeling the ball, the pitch."

Kaka said he thought of leaving Real last year to move to another country with a less competitive league but decided to stay after repeatedly being told by coach Jose Mourinho that the team counted on him.

"He always helped me, always," said Kaka.