Lorenzo Pellegrini impressed for Italy at the European Under-21 Championship and is “inspired” by Paul Pogba and new Roma teammate Daniele De Rossi.
The Sassuolo midfielder turned 21 during the tournament, which sees the Azzurrini face Spain in the semi-final on Tuesday.
“We are absolutely ready for this, as we are concentrated and will give our best, as we did with Germany,” Pellegrini told UEFA.com.
Lorenzo Pellegrini impressed for Italy at the European Under-21 Championship and is “inspired” by Paul Pogba and new Roma teammate Daniele De Rossi.
The Sassuolo midfielder turned 21 during the tournament, which sees the Azzurrini face Spain in the semi-final on Tuesday.
“We are absolutely ready for this, as we are concentrated and will give our best, as we did with Germany,” Pellegrini told UEFA.com.
“It’s a one-off game, so absolutely anything could happen. We already played against Spain in a friendly in March and know their players very well.
“They’ve got international stars like Marco Asensio and Saul Niguez, so we know it won’t be easy. Asensio won the Champions League and plays for probably the strongest team in the world, Real Madrid. It’s only natural he’d be at the centre of attention in this tournament, but we’ve got great players like Domenico Berardi and Federico Bernardeschi too.
“The Euros are very important for me, as facing up to strong opponents is fundamental for a young player to improve. It’s always wonderful to win, but with this squad we really feel like a family.”
Pellegrini came up through the Roma youth academy and was sold to Sassuolo two years ago with a buy-back clause worth €10m, which will be activated next week.
“My objective right now is the Euros, but in general I want to keep growing and step by step become a great player. I am inspired by De Rossi, but also Pogba, as on top of his incredible quality, he also has such a cool head. I enjoy watching him play.
“The toughest opponents I’ve faced are Domenico Berardi, who still probably hasn’t expressed his capabilities to the full. Another name would be Gonzalo Higuain, who has this amazing determination in the way he does things, the same as other players like Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini and De Rossi. They set the example for us young players.”