Mirante: Everyone plays their part defensively

Goals from Alessandro Florenzi and Edin Dzeko sealed an important three points for the Giallorossi - while Mirante's saves played a huge part in another clean sheet.

After the game, the shot-stopper was asked what was behind Roma's recent defensive improvement.

“I believe that, aside from the saves and the decisions from the gaffer, we’ve changed a little in our approach to defence," Mirante said.

"We’re less exposed and when we have the ball we’re almost always set up well. This restores confidence and then the results start to come in.

"We’re working so hard to get fourth place. We know things are complicated but we have the duty to keep going until the end.”

Could you be the No. 1 goalkeeper next year?

“The truth is that when I came here at the start of the year I knew my role, but then things changed and obviously it’s great to be able to play. However, it’s not a question of thinking about what I’ll do next year, it’s a question of working hard: my attitude to my job always needs to be perfect.

"Despite the fact I knew I’d been brought here as a back-up keeper, I always trained as if I were playing the following Sunday. From this point of view I’m lucky because I’ve got a goalkeeping coach who doesn’t let up and also I genuinely never had the attitude of coming here to Roma to put my feet up.”

Without intending to do any disrespect to Eusebio Di Francesco, did always having to play from the back undermine your confidence?

“It was a different way of playing, we gave more importance to building it up from the back and this means you can be caught out sometimes with the ball at your feet. This is why some teams opened us up a few times.

"It’s certainly not a problem of the former coach, it was our problem because it’s we who go out and play and we have responsibilities. We’re experienced players and there are certain things you must know how to do at this level. Things then changed and the fact that we’re not conceding goals leads to various other positive consequences.”