Angelo Ogbonna had his third cap against England, but felt like a veteran in the new-look Italy side.
“It was a good performance, especially as many of us were playing together for the first time,” said the Torino defender after the 2-1 friendly defeat.
Angelo Ogbonna had his third cap against England, but felt like a veteran in the new-look Italy side.
“It was a good performance, especially as many of us were playing together for the first time,” said the Torino defender after the 2-1 friendly defeat.
“In the second half we struggled a little more, as Jermain Defoe was better at moving into space than Andy Carroll and stretched us out in defence.
“I don’t know if I have a future with the Azzurri. I certainly hope so, but any benefits come from hard work day by day.”
Ogbonna impressed for his attitude and he was often seen calling the offside trap to his teammates.
“Davide Astori and I help each other out, while it is always better to communicate between defenders. A word extra is better than one too few.”
Cesare Prandelli always urges the Azzurri to play the ball from defence and not hoof it clear unless in an emergency situation.
“That is something that comes naturally to me, as Coach Giampiero Ventura has the same ideas at Torino. I doubt it is difficult for any of my teammates either.”
Ogbonna was part of the Euro 2012 squad, but didn’t get to play a single minute of the tournament.
“Of course it was disappointing, but the important thing was to be there.”