Patrick Cutrone admits he is ‘not getting the playing time’ he wants at club level, but his two goals for Italy in the European Under-21 Championship show what he can do.
The former Milan striker took centre stage this evening in a 4-0 win over Slovenia, scoring twice and seeing a penalty saved, as well as several other chances to complete his hat-trick.
Patrick Cutrone admits he is ‘not getting the playing time’ he wants at club level, but his two goals for Italy in the European Under-21 Championship show what he can do.
The former Milan striker took centre stage this evening in a 4-0 win over Slovenia, scoring twice and seeing a penalty saved, as well as several other chances to complete his hat-trick.
This is remarkable considering there were question marks over his match fitness, yet he started all three group games.
“It’s true that I hadn’t started for a long time, so it wasn’t easy, but I always trained to the max and wanted to be ready when my chance came,” he told RAI Sport.
“We couldn’t underestimate Slovenia, as we knew that it could go very wrong if we did that. The team reacted well to the pressure we were under, we gave our best and I am proud to be captain of this team. It is an honour for me.”
Cutrone needed a confidence booster after failing to get playing time at Wolves, then on loan at Fiorentina and now Valencia.
“My season hasn’t been lucky as unfortunately I’m not getting the playing time I want, but I will always give my best, because this is the best sport in the world and I know my moment will come.
“I thank the coach, as he always believes in me, puts his faith in me and that means a great deal. I am convinced this is a great team and we can go far.”