Former Chelsea forward Adrian Mutu has been given a path back to the Romanian national despite a career sidetracked by personal issues, he said on Wednesday.
Mutu, 36, signed in July for FC Pune City of the Indian Super League (ISL), where he was hailed as the club's marquee signing. And the former Inter Milan, Juventus and Fiorentina star says despite playing in such a far-off location, he'll be in consideration for a spot on Romania's Euro 2016 squad.
"I recently had a talk with the national team coach [Anghel Iordanescu] and he has told me that if I continue playing football even after ISL, then he will consider me for the European Championship next year," Mutu told Sport360. "It's a huge motivation for me to keep going and I am taking it very seriously.
"I never expected that my campaign to return to the national team would begin in India. After ISL, I don't know where I'll play. But I am thinking closer to the future. I hope to stay fit, score some goals and help my team win the title."
Mutu joined Chelsea in 2003 from Parma, but was released by the English side in October 2004 having failed a drug test for cocaine the previous month. The incident has marked his career forever, and Mutu has vowed to use his experience to counsel his new teammates.
"All this is something of the past but I know it's going to follow me wherever I go for the rest of my life. There is no denying I made mistakes. But everyone makes mistakes, don't they?," Mutu said.
"I don't know if I can call myself a mentor. But what I can assure you is that I would share with them my experience ... whatever I can teach. They [Indian players] are very nice, open people and are hungry to learn.
"They keep on asking me various things. They are all good athletes and footballers but what they don't have is experience. I think it's normal because here in India football wasn't so popular till a few years ago."
Mutu is not taking his spell in Asia lightly.
"This is one of the biggest challenges of my career," Mutu said. "By no means will it be easy. I have been training hard, been communicating with the club constantly to understand their philosophy and requirements and I am committed to give everything I have."
"I had a couple of offers from European clubs," he continued. "But one of the reasons I chose to come to India is that the club has been very nice to me despite the fact that I couldn't come last year because of a bureaucratic problem. They behaved well with me and I appreciate that."