Primavera profile: 7 things you need to know about Edoardo Soleri

1. “My first footballing memories are from Brazil. I spent five years there as a young boy and particularly remember playing with my dad on the beach in Rio and the day I bought a Brazil shirt with 'Ronaldo No.9' on the back.”

2. “Before I started playing football, I tried tennis but mainly did swimming. My mum was a swimming instructor, so she made sure my brother, my sister and I knew how to swim from a young age. Once I picked up football, my first position was in central midfield, after that I became a striker.”

3. “The thing I like most about my game is attacking the front post when I'm in the box. I always try to give everything I have out there and walk off the pitch drenched in sweat. The aspect I feel I need to work on the most is using my left foot.”

4. “There are two people who have had the biggest influences on my career: Roberto Baronio who was one of my first coaches at Orange Futbolclub and Roberto Muzzi – he was the guy who decided to try me out up front.”

5. “My idol has always been Francesco Totti. My whole family is full of Roma fans, so it couldn't be any other way. It was difficult watching Giallorossi games in Brazil, but somehow we always managed to. My mum has always been a massive fan, perhaps even more so than my dad.”

6. “My role model is Luca Toni. I see a bit of myself in the way he played, but mainly he was one of the stars in the 2006 World Cup victory. That's when I began to admire him. In my opinion, the best player of all time is undoubtedly Lionel Messi. He always makes the difference. Just look at his statistics, the trophies he's won and the impact he has on every game.”

7. “My dream for the next few years is to continue my career at Roma, the team I've always supported both from afar and at the stadium. I want to stay here for a long time.”