El Shaarawy: I'm happy to repay Spalletti's belief in me

Stephan El Shaarawy has thanked Luciano Spalletti for the faith the coach has shown in him, after the forward scored the winner in Roma's 3-2 victory over Genoa on Monday.

El Shaarawy slotted home from close range with just three minutes remaining to secure another valuable three points for the Giallorossi, and was keen to thank his manager for helping to turn his season around.

“I have to say Spalletti has been huge for me during my time at Roma," El Shaarawy said, after being asked about the secret to his renaissance. "He's shown so much belief in me and I've tried to repay him with my performances on the pitch.

"I've made a good start here so I have to be happy. It was a really hard-fought game today, really hard for us to get the win.

"We knew this was a tough place to come but we dug deep in the second half and showed exactly what we're about, with Francesco [Totti] scoring that free kick and Edin [Dzeko] setting me up. It's a massive win for us.”

You had to come from behind too...

“We were struggling at 2-1. They kept attacking and had us pinned back but as the half drew on we came back really strong. We played some great football, managed to get in behind them and deserved to win.”

Do you feel you've done enough to book your ticket to the Euros?

“I'm pleased with my performance tonight and the fact that I got the winner. Yes, the Euros are on my mind – I've never denied that. I have to keep doing what I'm doing. When [Antonio] Conte comes calling I have to make sure I'm ready, then whatever happens happens. We have two games left and we're going to try and win them both then see what Napoli do.”

What sort of a spark does Totti provide when he comes on?

“We can all see it and it doesn't even surprise you anymore. He's got that skill, that talent. At his age he comes on and wins matches for us. It's an absolute delight to be able to train with him and play in the same team. He's exceptionally talented and yet so down to earth. He's still making a difference and we're really happy.”