Fiorentina attacker Riccardo Sottil said football has always been his life and stressed natural talent must ‘be developed with hard work’.

The 22-year-old has returned to Fiorentina ahead of 2021-22, as he spent last season on loan with Cagliari in Sardinia.

Sottil moved to Fiorentina as a youth player and has also spent time on loan with Pescara before moving to the Casteddu.

He is back to fight for a place in the starting line-up at the Artemio Franchi, where Vincenzo Italiano has taken over at the helm.

Sottil’s contract with the Viola expires in June 2024 and he has struggled to establish himself in the first team at the Artemio Franchi.

The former Genoa and Torino youth said his life has always been about football, as his father played for clubs like Torino, Fiorentina, Atalanta, Udinese and Genoa and is currently the coach of Ascoli, but stressed he ‘never felt the pressure’ to succeed.

“Football for me is life,” Sottil told the club’s official channel. “As a child, my father played football, a life in Serie A, now he’s a coach.

“I was brought up with a ball. The first gifts from my uncles or grandparents have always been footballs.

“But what I always say to my friends too is: ‘Football is DNA, but it must be developed with work’. Mother nature gives you talent, but there must be perseverance and attitude for the work.

“That’s what makes the difference. Being a child of art can set expectations. But I never felt the pressure.”

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