Dries Mertens admits Napoli will ‘miss’ Lorenzo Insigne when he joins Toronto FC, but the teammates, fans and club must ‘always thank’ him for 11 years and the same number of goals as Diego Maradona.
The captain came off the bench for his return from injury and converted a penalty in the 4-1 win over Salernitana this afternoon.
Serie A | Napoli 4-1 Salernitana: Mertens and Insigne reunite
“It was important for Insigne to score this goal, it was an important moment for him,” Mertens told DAZN, having converted the first spot-kick of the match.
This was not only the first goal since Insigne officially signed for Toronto FC, where he will go as a free agent on July 1, but also the 115th for Napoli, equalling Maradona’s career tally.
He remains behind Marek Hamsik and Mertens in the all-time club charts.
“Insigne made a choice and we will miss him, because he’s an important person for us. We will never forget what he did for us.
“We’re a little sad, but must give him a great send-off. After 11 years here, he is Neapolitan, and we should always thank him.”
Mertens could also follow out the door this summer, as there’s no guarantee Napoli will activate their option to extend his current contract.
He had said he would keep scoring goals to convince President Aurelio De Laurentiis to keep him.
“That was a joke, but yeah, if I am important to the club, then hopefully they will keep me around.”