Antonio Di Natale names Lorenzo Insigne as his heir – “he’s playing as a top player and he’s started scoring”.
The Udinese legend turns 40 today, and he spoke to Gazzetta dello Sport for the occasion.
The newspaper asked Toto whether he sees an heir to himself, Francesco Totti and Alessandro Del Piero.
“Insigne,” Di Natale replied.
“He’s very good. He’s playing as a top player and is starting to score. I told him one day in Udine that he should score more, and he’s done it.
Antonio Di Natale names Lorenzo Insigne as his heir – “he’s playing as a top player and he’s started scoring”.
The Udinese legend turns 40 today, and he spoke to Gazzetta dello Sport for the occasion.
The newspaper asked Toto whether he sees an heir to himself, Francesco Totti and Alessandro Del Piero.
“Insigne,” Di Natale replied.
“He’s very good. He’s playing as a top player and is starting to score. I told him one day in Udine that he should score more, and he’s done it.
“Andrea Belotti and Ciro Immobile? They’re good, Belotti is an animal, Immobile is more of a second striker.
“But here I think about my time: I played with [Christian] Vieri, [Pippo] Inzaghi, [Luca] Toni, Totti, Del Piero; against [Paolo] Maldini, [Alessandro] Nesta, [Fabio] Cannavaro, [Lilian] Thuram.
“The night before, you didn’t sleep. Everything has changed now.”
Di Natale was then asked about his former Coach Luciano Spalletti, who took over Inter in the summer.
“He’s brought his ideas and mentality, Inter is a team in which everyone battles and they can finish third.
“He makes you understand there’s only one thing you have to do on a Sunday: win.
“He’s human, he talks to the players, he gets them all thinking along the same lines and gives balance to the club. It’s a bit like watching [Jose] Mourinho’s Inter again.
“Who will win? Juve are favourites, again, but Napoli have reduced the gap. They don’t slip up any more and [Coach Maurizio] Sarri is great.
“If he’d Coached me I’d always have scored 20 goals. I see the same quality that [Francesco] Guidolin brought, ball on the ground and play on the front foot.”
Many players struggle after hanging up their boots, but it appears Toto doesn’t feel that way. “It doesn’t bother me,” Di Natale shrugged.
“I’ve become an entrepreneur, focusing on real estate, coffee and the football school in Udine. I like it, and I’m passionate about it.
“I didn’t want it anymore, I turned the engine off and realised that the time had come. I did more than 20 years and now I don’t feel the desire to play. Maybe I’d go to a high-level charity match.
“Francesco Totti and I made history, maybe he still had that desire and he pursued a role as a director.
“Football is a wheel that turns though, you do your bit when you can and then one day it all stops. Look at Toni, he had another year in Verona then said goodbye.”
Di Natale won 42 Italy caps, but now there’s a risk the Azzurri won’t go to the World Cup in Russia.
“They have to go, if not I’m convinced it would be a catastrophe. Italy always start a bit behind though, then we arrive.
“I remember Euro 2012 with [Cesare] Prandelli. Everyone thought we’d go home, but then we got to the final. My best memory remains that goal against Spain in Gdansk.”