Roma midfielder Steven Nzonzi has revealed his two key objectives at the Olimpico – to emulate Daniele De Rossi and win trophies.
De Rossi is Roma’s longest-serving player, recently returning from a knee injury to add to his haul of over 600 appearances for the Giallorossi, while the Lupi’s last piece of silverware remains the 2007-08 Coppa Italia.
Roma midfielder Steven Nzonzi has revealed his two key objectives at the Olimpico – to emulate Daniele De Rossi and win trophies.
De Rossi is Roma’s longest-serving player, recently returning from a knee injury to add to his haul of over 600 appearances for the Giallorossi, while the Lupi’s last piece of silverware remains the 2007-08 Coppa Italia.
“My first objective is to avoid any serious injuries and play well until I’m 33,” Nzonzi, who won a Europa League with Sevilla and was a member of France’s 2018 World Cup-winning squad, told So Foot.
“You never stop learning. Take De Rossi, for example. He plays in a very clever way. He has experience and a great first touch, and he helped me a lot by explaining tactics in English.
“Above all, however, he’s a true professional. He spent his entire career at Roma. There are thousands of players who, in his place and after giving so much to the club, would train by walking and never going to the gym.
“Not De Rossi. He’s never late, he goes to the gym and commits himself during training. You can only admire him.
“I can’t say if I’d have the same level of consistency, knowing that the Coach can’t tell me anything.
“My other big objective is to win things because I haven’t lifted many trophies in my career. Doing it with Sevilla changed my perspective.
“In England I played to help the team, but never to win something. Once you taste silverware, you become aware of what it means.
“Winning is difficult and maybe I won’t be able to win anything else in my career, but I must keep putting in the necessary effort and watching videos like I did with Emery.
“I’d do it again because it’s worth it.”