Parma boss Roberto D’Aversa says Dejan Kulusevski ‘reminds me of Pavel Nedved’ but also that the Juventus new boy needs to be more like Josip Ilicic.
Kulusevski signed for Juve in January but was loaned back to Parma for the rest of the season, and D’Aversa made it clear the Bianconeri had bagged themselves a gem.
“He’s a winner. And if you tease him, he gives it back: he reacts immediately, but always with education and in a positive way,” he told Tuttosport.
Parma boss Roberto D’Aversa says Dejan Kulusevski ‘reminds me of Pavel Nedved’ but also that the Juventus new boy needs to be more like Josip Ilicic.
Kulusevski signed for Juve in January but was loaned back to Parma for the rest of the season, and D’Aversa made it clear the Bianconeri had bagged themselves a gem.
“He’s a winner. And if you tease him, he gives it back: he reacts immediately, but always with education and in a positive way,” he told Tuttosport.
“It was still difficult to think that he would make such a devastating impact on Serie A. He’s a teenager ready to start for a big team.
“He’s a complete footballer for his mix of technique, strength, teamwork, shooting and knack of scoring and assisting. He reminds me of Pavel Nedved.”
The coach, however, singled out another player for the Swede to look up to.
“He’s a winger/midfielder who runs 13 km per game and combines quantity with quality, as seen by his five goals and seven assists.
“He could’ve done more with a bit more composure in the box. Together with his heading, it’s the part of his game where Dejan has to improve most.
“I always tell him to watch how calm Ilicic is when he enters the box.”
Despite being 32, Ilicic has already scored 21 goals for Atalanta this term, including four against Valencia in the Champions League before the coronavirus pandemic put a stop to the campaign.