Federico Bernardeschi says Euro 2016 with the Azzurri is 'a starting point' for him: 'But I worried about not making it'.
Coach Antonio Conte was criticised for not calling up some of Italy's younger prospects for the tournament, like Daniele Rugani and Jorginho, but the Viola winger is one of the most promising Italian stars.
Federico Bernardeschi says Euro 2016 with the Azzurri is 'a starting point' for him: 'But I worried about not making it'.
Coach Antonio Conte was criticised for not calling up some of Italy's younger prospects for the tournament, like Daniele Rugani and Jorginho, but the Viola winger is one of the most promising Italian stars.
“If a great player like De Rossi was worried about not being selected, imagine how I felt,” said Bernardeschi to the Press. “I have always looked to give 100 per cent and then this extremely important call arrived for me. I am the youngest one and it’s an honour to be here with all these great players.
“Gianluigi Buffon? I have a great relationship with Gigi, I will always thank him for the advice he gives me.”
“I have had a good year and it’s a dream come true to be here. But I'm not content with just showing up, we must all dream big. The team must work to reach our objectives. Of course I'd like to win and we'll be giving everything to take home the trophy.
“On a tactical level, I feel good as a right winger and one day I would like to play as a trequartista. I know that I must be able to adapt to every role and it’s important that I try to make a contribution. Technically, I love to get on the ball and attack space.
“In modern football, the player must adapt himself to the team, not the other way round. All of the players want to know how to play in more than one position, even though everyone has to find their own role.”
The Azzurri's number 10 shirt was handed to midfielder Thiago Motta, a decision which angered many of the Azzurri fans as they were used to seeing it assigned to a creative striker.
“Thiago deserves the number ten shirt for what he has done in his career. This team has a lot of quality with each individual player and as a team, our strength has to be our team spirit.”