Stefan de Vrij admits he is struggling to pick up Italian, but says he is adapting to life in Rome, and his best in a Lazio” data-scaytid=”2″>Lazio shirt is still to come.
The Netherlands centre-back signed for the Aquile this summer and is preparing with his international colleagues this week for a friendly in Bari against Italy.
Stefan de Vrij admits he is struggling to pick up Italian, but says he is adapting to life in Rome, and his best in a Lazio shirt is still to come.
The Netherlands centre-back signed for the Aquile this summer and is preparing with his international colleagues this week for a friendly in Bari against Italy.
Talking to reporters in the build-up to that fixture, the 22-year-old has considered his early work in the Italian capital.
“I am excited by the new adventure in Rome, even if there is difficulty in communicating with my teammates,” De Vrij conceded to Dutch media this week.
“I ask the guys to speak both in Italian and English, although they hardly pay attention! I am trying to improve even if it is not a language that you can learn overnight.
“I used to only hear words like ‘arriva’, that is, the kind of phrases that are said between players. Now I am trying to translate even more complex concepts in my head.”
Even with the language barrier, De Vrij says he is settling in well to life in a new city and new country.
“I am very happy in Rome, especially lately. Sometimes I visit the monuments of the city. When we train in the morning, in fact, I have some free time and I like to explore because it is still very hot weather.
“I am getting to know the streets of Rome, now I no longer need a navigator.
“This is the first time that I have changed team. I have always been a player at Feyenoord and in a climate that was very familiar. Now everything is new, but this is very important for my growth, both as a player and as a person.
“My debut? Let’s just say I did not play at my level. Unfortunately we lost [against Milan], even though we did not deserve to lose 3-1.
“But it happened, now we have to look forwards.”