Marchizza eager to make most of chance to learn from Manolas

Young defender Riccardo Marchizza believes the opportunity to work alongside Kostas Manolas - a player he rates among the best in the world - will only help his footballing development.

The centre-back, who was a cornerstone of last season's title-winning Primavera side, is one of a number of Alberto De Rossi’s victorious squad who have been invited to join Luciano Spalletti's first-team group for the training camp in Pinzolo, which got underway on Saturday.

Suddenly faced with the task of defending against the likes of Mohamed Salah and Diego Perotti – all while taking on board the coach's tactical instructions – the 18-year-old admits he has had to adapt quickly to the speed of play at the top level.

“The thing you notice right away is the difference in tempo compared to the Primavera squad,” Marchizza told asroma.com. “The concepts are more or less the same but the tempo is completely different.

“You need to be able to read everything in advance because there are quality players in the squad and they can pull something out of the bag at any time."

He added: “But taking part in training camp with the first team is a fantastic experience because you get to watch the senior players up close and train alongside some of the best in Italian football."

The thing you notice right away is the difference in tempo compared to the Primavera ... the concepts are more or less the same but the speed is completely different

- Riccardo Marchizza

For Marchizza, who was also part of the U-17's Scudetto success in 2015, the chance to work so closely with senior professionals is one he is eager to make the most of – taking different characteristics from certain players and incorporating them into his own approach.

“I’m observing [Kostas] Manolas the most,” Marchizza said. “I think he’s one of the best defenders in both Italy and the world. I’m trying to learn from his positioning, his movement and his aerial game.

“I’m also shadowing [Ervin] Zukanovic because he’s left-footed like me, so I see some similarities between us. I try to analyse his movement and the way he plays.”

The youngster’s education is being further enhanced by working with Spalletti, a man with vast tactical experience to impart.

“You learn a lot from coach Spalletti and his staff,” Marchizza said. “You need to be like a sponge and absorb everything you see and hear.

“He gave Roma so much in his first spell in charge and last season he took over the team when it was in a difficult situation and nearly nicked second spot. He’s a master when it comes to explaining his ideas so you learn a great deal from him.”

With thousands of fans turning out to welcome the squad in Trentino, the youngster admits the atmosphere around Pinzolo has already left an impression.

“The moment we arrived at the station in Trento is one of the highlights of the experience so far – it was packed with fans waiting to welcome the team,” he said. “It’s wonderful - you see it during the season too, when the fans wait outside Trigoria to see the players.”