Schick: This will be a huge season for me

After a debut season in the Italian capital that was disrupted time and time again by niggling injury issues, this summer the young striker has enjoyed an untroubled pre-season – and the results of that have been clear to everyone, with Schick easily the club’s top goalscorer in warm-up matches.

And, with the competitive games now coming thick and fast, Schick is determined to take that form with him and make a real impact for Eusebio Di Francesco’s side.

“It’s not that it could be a big season for me, but that it needs to be,” Schick told the club’s match programme, ahead of Friday’s game against AC Milan. “And I think it will be.

“At San Siro I will go out there with my usual focus – and I hope we take the three points in what is an important game for us.”

He added: “It’s a huge boost to complete a full pre-season, not just for me but for any player. You feel much better; if you haven’t got all that preparation in at the start you can get tired easily and it’s easier to pick up injury problems. So it’s an important difference for me from last season.

“I don’t think that I have changed much as a person [from last year]. So it’s the preparation that is a big improvement – which I hope will change the entire season too.”

Schick has made two substitute appearances so far this season, including in Monday’s 3-3 draw with Atalanta.

“We started really thanks to Pastore’s great goal. But then they scored three goals and that unsettled us a bit,” he noted.

“In the second half we fought back well, we put their defence under pressure and in the end we could have won it. It’s a shame we didn’t take all three points.”

Schick had one notable chance to score, only to be denied by Atalanta 'keeper Pierluigi Gollini.

“Unfortunately the goalkeeper was already off his line – I tried to flick it over him but he managed to stop it with his feet,” he said. “It was a bit unlucky.”

The side will look to bounce back in Milan, where both Javier Pastore and Steven Nzonzi will be looking to build on positive outings.

“Pastore is a great player, everyone knows that. He’s very clever and has great technical ability,” Schick said. “His first goal for Roma was beautiful, we all hope he continues like that.”

“Nzonzi came on in the second half on Monday and I thought he did very well. He’s aggressive, big, good on the ball. In the first half we lacked a bit of power – we hope he continues to add that for us.”

Of the challenge ahead, Schick said: “You always expect a very tough game, of course. We need to prepare for it as best we can, even more so than against Atalanta.

“The aim is to win, to take the three points. They’ve bought Gonzalo Higuain – for me he and Giacomo Bonaventura are their best players.”