Kevin-Prince Boateng has admitted he treated football for its lavish lifestyle and didn't focus on the job.
The nomadic forward has had various spells in Germany, England, Italy and Spain, but didn’t settle down for the long term.
“I’ll go back and say: I didn’t treat football as a job,” Boateng told La Repubblica.
“I was an idiot. I had talent, but I trained the bare minimum, an hour on the field. I was the last to arrive and the first to leave. I’d be out with friends.
“I had money, I lived like a king. I’d never been to the gym. That changes your later career.
“I bought three cars in one day when I was at Tottenham: a Lamborghini, a Hummer and a Cadillac.”
The 32-year old Ghanaian advised youngsters that happiness - which he was looking for at that time, can’t be purchased.
“To the youngsters, I tell them: ‘You cannot buy happiness.’ I didn’t play, I had family problems, I was out of the squad.
“I was looking for happiness in material things: a car makes you happy for a week. I bought three to be happy for three weeks.”
Boateng’s Fiorentina are without a win in their opening two Serie A games and face a tough challenge when they host Juventus at Artemio Franchi on Saturday afternoon.
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