Chievo forward Sergio Pellissier has spoken of his time growing up as a young footballer and how things have changed since his youth, although perhaps not for the better.
The 36-year-old veteran striker has played over 400 games for the Flying Donkeys and has been reminiscing about his younger years, battling to become a professional football player.
“I was smaller than many of the other lads and so had to try that bit harder,” he told Sky Sport Italia. “There was a lot of rivalry in the youth sector at Torino and it was very competitive.
“I wanted to achieve my dream and knew I had to work hard. Growing up there were hardly any foreign players, perhaps just some boys from the South of Italy who had moved up to the North.
“Now you have to compete against foreign players as well, which can either make or break you.”
Regarding the state of Serie A, Pellissier said: “I think the standard has dropped despite all these overseas players. We need to give youth more of a chance, perhaps Italian youth. But teams are frightened to use them because they need the points and don’t have the time to allow the young player to develop.”
