Diego Maradona has vowed to fight his illness for the sake of his daughters.
The Argentinian World Cup-winner was discharged from hospital yesterday after lengthy treatment for smoking, dietary and alcohol-related problems
He made his first public appearance on Argentinian TV and stated: "I am alive and I want to continue living for my two daughters. I am going to continue fighting until the end."
The 46-year-old added: "I was ill, I recognise that.
"There were some very hard days, I do not recommend it to anybody. I made a mistake and paid a very high price.
"Today I am calm, doing the diet and taking care of myself. Now I want to rest in order to be better physically. I am not a drunk."
Maradona said his family were instrumental in his recovery.
"May 16th is the birthday of my daughter Giannina and I want to enjoy it because she helped me a lot," he said.
"My daughters tell me 'never again dad' and I am going to endeavour to achieve it. I want to be an example for my daughters."