Sassuolo midfielder Davide Frattesi has said he dreams of playing for Italy at senior level and that Roma legend Daniele De Rossi was his football idol growing up.
The 22-year-old has scored twice in the last two rounds of the Serie A action, including a goal in the Neroverdi’s 2-1 victory against Juventus on Wednesday evening.
His goal against the Bianconeri has lifted his confidence significantly and after years of representing Italy at youth level, he now waits for a call-up from Azzurri coach Roberto Mancini.
“A fantastic evening not only for us, but also for the fans and directors,” Frattesi said to CalcioNews 24.
“On Wednesday, we were less beautiful than other times, but more concrete. We played as a team, as the coach [Alessio Dionisi] wants.
“Naturally, I dream of being called up to the national team. It is a goal even if I still have to grow a lot.
“Internationally, I have already made a long journey in the youth teams, full of satisfactions and beatings.”
Frattesi has admired midfielders like Kevin De Bruyne, Claudio Marchisio, and Kevin Strootman, but the Sassuolo midfielder revealed that De Rossi was his greatest inspiration.
“I can say that the strongest central midfielder is De Bruyne, although it is almost restrictive to define him like so; Marchisio was a model, Strootman before his injuries made me crazy because he had strength, stamina, and quality; that De Rossi was my idol and in fact I wear No.16 in his honour,” he concluded.
