Lorenzo Pellegrini has explained why he is starting to feel like a senior player in the group, having returned for pre-season with Roma.
Pellegrini, tipped by many to become the club’s next vice-captain, returned later than some of his teammates due to his involvement with the Italy U21 side over the summer, but now he is back at Trigoria, he has relished the opportunity to get back to work.
He told Roma Radio that his first impressions of the sessions under new coach Paulo Fonseca have been positive.
“Very good indeed – I’ve enjoyed it very much,” he explained. “The training sessions are very intense.
“I knew many of the new arrivals already and I’m getting to know the others now. I think we’re a nice group, with good lads. As a youngster you’re able to take certain things on board, which makes it easier out on the pitch.
“I see [Fonseca] as a very direct person and that’s something I like. He tries to make you feel at ease, in order to communicate what he wants from you. I like the way he thinks about football.
“Now we have some time to really push on, because we’ve only been working with him for a few weeks and it’ll take time to implement the football that he’s demanding. Nonetheless, the feeling within the squad is positive.”
Pellegrini has returned to a Roma that is now far more well-stocked in his midfield position, following the signings of Amadou Diawara and Jordan Veretout, plus the apparent resurgence of Javier Pastore. But rather than viewing this as a hindrance, the 23-year-old is looking forward to the competition for places and how it may affect his role.
“It’s not something we’re talking about at the moment because this is only the beginning, also because some players are behind and are therefore training to get back to top condition. We know that, like last year, there are a lot of games to be played and it would appear that playing in midfield will be very demanding, given the way the coach wants to play. So, we’ll all make ourselves available.
“I think the attacking phase of play comes more naturally to me but I’m working hard to improve my defensive skills. I’d say I’m a central midfielder, a role where nowadays you need to know how to do everything, from the holding role to playing in behind the forwards.”
Despite only being 23, Pellegrini is growing into a key leader in the squad, particularly given that he is one of the few remaining Romans at the club. And he revealed that he is eager to take on a role of more responsibility, especially helping out younger players in the team.
“I try to give them support, because I know it’s not easy. It wasn’t easy for me when I went to cut my teeth at Sassuolo, so I need to try and help everyone, such as [Alessio] Riccardi and [Mirko] Antonucci, who have come through at Roma like I did and are now part of the squad and could well become excellent players.”
Pellegrini is also keen to lift the morale of the team after a disappointing season, by reinforcing to the new arrivals that they can play a part in helping things improve.
“We ‘older’ players are trying to get that message across and so are the staff and the coach. We’re doing good work and preparing the ground to have a very good season. I hope we don’t do worse than last season – we have to improve.
“It was a tough campaign last time out, not just for us players but also for the club. We now just need to focus on working hard, playing football and winning games.
“I can’t deny that we listen to the goings-on around us but we do need to stay out of that as much as we can and focus on our work – the staff are helping us a great deal in that respect.”
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