David Alaba is fit and ready to start his time at Udinese, and he is looking forward to building a "new chapter of my career".
Alaba joined Udinese as a free agent in September, following his departure from Real Madrid at the end of last season.
The 34-year-old brings with him a wealth of European experience, having also spent 13 years with Bayern Munich before making the move to Madrid in 2021.
He won 25 trophies with the Bundesliga giants before going on to win two LaLiga crowns and two Champions League titles, in addition to a Copa del Rey, a Supercopa de Espana, a UEFA Super Cup, a Club World Cup and an Intercontinental Cup with Los Blancos.
However, Alaba's later years in Madrid were hampered by injuries, and he managed just 575 minutes across all competitions last term, but he insists there are no issues with his fitness.
"I feel good, and I feel ready to play," Alaba said, as reported by TuttoMercatoWeb.
"I've already been training with the team for about a week, and I trained hard in the previous months. I've spoken often with [Kosta] Runjaic about my role. I've played a lot as a centre-back, and I feel comfortable there.
"I've played in other positions too, but mainly I feel good as a centre-back. As for the clubs, I can say that yes, I spoke with other Italian clubs.
"I know what kind of player I am, and I'm here to play football. I'm here to write the next pages of my story as a footballer.
"I have a lot of experience, and I want to put it at the team's disposal. I'm less interested in the rumours."
Alaba has said he has high ambitions for what he can achieve with Udinese, who are currently 13th in Serie A after five matches.
But Alaba is looking forward to helping the team this season.
"I spoke mainly with the coach, Runjaic, and he convinced me of the project here," Alaba said.
"I took my time to make a decision, and over time I became convinced that this was perhaps the right path. I believe it's the right step for my career.
"I decided to come here not because of my past, but because I'm ambitious and I always want more. It's an important project, and I think it's the right step for my career.
"I don't need to prove anything to myself, but I came here to build a new chapter of my career and to help the team with my quality and experience."
Alaba could make his Udinese debut on Monday when they return to Serie A action against Torino.