Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni says he is delighted to be working under Antonio Conte, who “knows how to get the best out of young players.”
The 20-year-old has played six times in Serie A under Conte this season, and he admits his return from Parma was an opportunity that went beyond “my wildest dreams”.
“This could not have happened to me at a better time because Conte knows how to get the best out of young players,” he told Sky Sport Italia.
Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni says he is delighted to be working under Antonio Conte, who “knows how to get the best out of young players.”
The 20-year-old has played six times in Serie A under Conte this season, and he admits his return from Parma was an opportunity that went beyond “my wildest dreams”.
“This could not have happened to me at a better time because Conte knows how to get the best out of young players,” he told Sky Sport Italia.
“He is a great coach, he is helping me a lot and despite any good performances, he pushes me to do better and tells me I should never be satisfied.
“Not even in my wildest dreams would I have thought about being here. It’s a dream come true and an experience I live every day, I hope it continues. I’m developing a lot thanks to the group and the coach.
“I see football as a game. If it’s at San Siro or in any other stadium, I always try to concentrate on the game. When I go out on the pitch, I have fun and I think about that.”
Bastoni had to pull out of Italy Under-21 duty with an injury, so his focus is solely on catching Juventus in the Scudetto race.
“We know it will be difficult to close the gap on Juve,” he added.
“We are working hard everyday to win every game and this is our target. We’ll see if we are there at the end of the year.”
The stopper then revealed what it was like to work with Diego Godin, Milan Skriniar and Stefan de Vrij.
“We see each other also outside of the dressing room. You leave the pitch with a smile on your face and that’s very important.
“They are established players; in 10 years I would like to have their ability to offer advice, as well as their characters as human beings.
“That’s the best characteristic I would steal from them. They give me advice like I’m their younger brother.”
Inter face Torino after the international break and are currently second in Serie A, one point behind leaders Juve.