Former Juventus midfielder Andrea Pirlo has revealed that ex-teammate Paul Pogba is the most promising youngster he has ever played with.
Whilst also noting the bright talent of Marco Verratti, the 36-year-old has claimed that Pogba made an instant impression when he first arrived in Turin, and has now improved even further thanks to his increased physical stature.
“Pogba is the best youngster I have seen,” said Pirlo to La Gazzetta dello Sport. “We knew that he was a great player just from his first training session.
“He was skinny but his legs allowed him to be everywhere on the field. Now he is bigger and stronger.”
The Italy international also heaped praise upon Paris Saint-Germain’s Verratti, who he believes can be at the core of the Azzurri starting XI for the foreseeable future.
“Verratti isn’t like me as a player but he can certainly be in the national team for the next 20 years.”
The experienced midfielder also criticised the current nature of youth football, claiming that the majority of players are more interested in the famous personalities of a club, rather than focusing upon their own progression.
“A youngster trains with the first team now and they think they have made it,” the former Brescia man added. “The most important thing for them is to be there and to take pictures.”
However, he did point out that Italy does have some dedicated professionals coming through their ranks, singling out Fiorentina’s Federico Bernardeschi, as well as Juve defender Daniele Rugani.
“There are some committed players,” Pirlo concluded. “Daniele Rugani is one, while Federico Bernardeschi is also serious professional, though I don’t know him as well.”
