Chris Smalling and Roma are aiming for silverware this season despite falling to a 2-0 defeat away to Parma on Sunday evening.
Smalling played the entire 90 minutes at the Stadio Ennio Tardini and, even as they fell to just their second loss of the season, the Englishman looked comfortable in a Giallorossi shirt.
He’s taken many by surprise with just how well he’s started off in Rome and he said a lot of that is down to how he’s feeling off the pitch.
“I have to say I’m feeling very settled,” he told Forza Italian Football in the mixed zone afterwards. “My family are over here, the dogs are over here, so everyone’s settled and when my family are happy and I’m happy then it shows on the pitch when I play.
“Overall I can’t really ask for much more and obviously my stay’s been short so far but it’s something I’ve enjoyed.”
Asked if he envisioned himself staying beyond this current campaign, the centre-back explained that his priority is helping Roma in their search for silverware this term, before evaluating things in the summer.
“My focus is on making sure this team has a successful season,” he continued. “The manager’s targets aren’t just making sure the team gets back in the Champions League, but it’s about winning something.
“That’s where my full focus is and then hopefully come the end of the season we’ll have won something, we’ll have achieved something, and then we can see where it goes.
“But right now it’s all about focusing on the pitch.”
Smalling is taking Italian lessons as he continues his integration and with three lessons a week he’s coming along quicker than he had expected, though he stopped short of sending a message to the Roma supporters in his new language.
“In a couple of months [I’ll give Roma fans a message],” he added. “But I am learning fast I think.
“I’m picking up, on the training pitch and in the changing room, things that are going to be useful to me in terms of being able to do interviews after the game and being able to learn on the pitch and communicate with my teammates.
“But it’s going well. I’m learning a lot faster than I imagined.
“I knew it was going to be difficult but it’s just about making sure that I do it consistently and hopefully come Christmas and come the end of the season there’ll be a big improvement and I can speak in Italian well.”
