Turkey boss Mircea Lucescu has revealed that “it was me who told Cengiz Under to stay at Roma” after his winner against Verona.
Cengiz finally got off the mark for Roma, proving decisive in their 1-0 win at Verona last weekend, and Lucescu assured the Turkish starlet “potentially has all the qualities needed” to be a top attacker.
“It’s not a surprise for me, it was just a matter of time,” the former Inter Coach told Corriere dello Sport.
Turkey boss Mircea Lucescu has revealed that “it was me who told Cengiz Under to stay at Roma” after his winner against Verona.
Cengiz finally got off the mark for Roma, proving decisive in their 1-0 win at Verona last weekend, and Lucescu assured the Turkish starlet “potentially has all the qualities needed” to be a top attacker.
“It’s not a surprise for me, it was just a matter of time,” the former Inter Coach told Corriere dello Sport.
“Cengiz is only 20 years old. He had the courage to leave home by choosing a tactical League like the Italian one.
“This experience will help him mature quicker. It was me who told him several times to stay at Roma and not give up, not even on loan, because I was certain it’d do him good to work in Italy with a good Coach like Di Francesco.
“Now that he understands the language and tactical side of things, you can now see the results.
“We speak in Italian, so I help him, and believe me, he understands me well. He’s also starting to talk a bit.
“He’ll only improve. Monchi wasn’t wrong to pay €15m for him, I’m convinced of that.
“I also advised Di Francesco to persist with him and work patiently with him because his qualities would’ve come out in the long run.
“Does he remind me of Dybala or Douglas Costa? I wouldn’t compare him to them, but Cengiz potentially has all the qualities needed.
“He’s quick, aggressive, a good dribbler and senses his opponents’ goal. He has a great shot on him.
“If he continues to follow the orders of his Coaches, he’ll go on to have a great career. I’ll be counting on him a lot in the future. He’ll become a pillar of the new national team.
“I hope he plays regularly and gets used to facing different types of teams because every match is different in Serie A.”