Southampton striker Graziano Pellè is trying “to keep a tight hold” of the Italy shirt ahead of Euro 2016.
The centre-forward was a very late bloomer and at the age of 30 is finally finding form at both domestic and international levels.
“There was a moment in my career where I was not performing that well and was not playing much and I was watching Italy winning the World Cup and so on and in myself I was saying: ‘Why can’t I be there?’
Southampton striker Graziano Pellè is trying “to keep a tight hold” of the Italy shirt ahead of Euro 2016.
The centre-forward was a very late bloomer and at the age of 30 is finally finding form at both domestic and international levels.
“There was a moment in my career where I was not performing that well and was not playing much and I was watching Italy winning the World Cup and so on and in myself I was saying: ‘Why can’t I be there?’
“But I knew that if I kept doing what I was doing – not playing and not performing well – then probably I could never do it,” Pellè told The Guardian.
“But when I started to play well and then I came here, I thought: ‘I can be there.’ The national team trainer has given me the chance to play and I’ve done well most of the time.
“Now I try to keep a tight hold of the shirt in my hand. It is an amazing feeling.”
His scoring record for Italy cannot be ignored, as he’s found the net four times in just eight senior caps.
Pellè also revealed he got the big move to Feyenoord after a chance meeting with Ronald Koeman’s son while on vacation.