Italy coach Antonio Conte discussed the Azzurri’s France-based internationals and claimed that the 23-year-old Marco Verratti must step up to become a key figure in the side going into EURO 2016.
The former Juventus boss believes the midfielder is already technically at an elite level but feels he could still improve mentally.
“Marco is a player with a great future ahead of him,” said Conte to Canal +.
“It’s important that he carries on with the same passion and desire.
“He still needs to improve a lot from a tactical perspective, technically he is already very strong.
“He is a player with great personality. Italy cannot wait for him anymore, he has to become a leader for this side.”
The Azzurri coach also discussed Verratti’s Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Salvatore Sirigu.
“He is a great goalkeeper and I have always called on him to be part of the squad,” Conte added.
“He’s very important for the national team but it’s inevitable that there will be concerns if he’s not playing.
“PSG are dominating the league and I hope that he gets some playing time so he can justify his place in the Italy setup.”
