Lorenzo Insigne assures he isn’t pushing to get Diego Maradona’s Number 10 jersey, but Napoli show ambition with Dries Mertens and Pepe Reina.
The homegrown forward has been the subject of debate over the last few days, with questions about whether he should shelve the Number 24 shirt and inherit El Pibe de Oro’s 10.
“I am not frightened by the idea of wearing the 10, but Maradona is always Maradona,” Insigne told Sky Sport Italia.
Lorenzo Insigne assures he isn’t pushing to get Diego Maradona’s Number 10 jersey, but Napoli show ambition with Dries Mertens and Pepe Reina.
The homegrown forward has been the subject of debate over the last few days, with questions about whether he should shelve the Number 24 shirt and inherit El Pibe de Oro’s 10.
“I am not frightened by the idea of wearing the 10, but Maradona is always Maradona,” Insigne told Sky Sport Italia.
“I always said that I hope one day it does get put back into rotation, because it is the dream of every striker to wear it and all youngsters must have that ambition too.
“As for me, I’m happy to keep hold of 24, as it’s my wife’s birthday. It’s not true that I requested the 10 shirt and I think if it was to be assigned again, that decision would be down to Diego and not the club.”
Insigne recently penned a contract extension and looks to the future with great confidence.
“I think the club sent a signal with my renewal and that of Mertens, proving we want to grow and aim for important targets. I am sure the same will be said to Pepe Reina, who is a very important player for our squad.
“I’m sure President Aurelio De Laurentiis and the club will do everything to keep hold of him and I hope they can soon reach an agreement.”
Insigne was asked if he had advice for Italy teammate Gianluigi Donnarumma, who is considering a contract extension with Milan.
“I hope that Donnarumma stays in Italy and I advised him to make a decision that goes beyond the economic aspect, because he’s only 18 years old. Having said that, I know Real Madrid are a club everyone dreams of.”