Karsdorp: I want to show what I can really do

The Dutch international played back-to-back games for the first time in Giallorossi last week; as he helped Eusebio Di Francesco's side to a 4-0 win over Virtus Entella in the Coppa Italia, before starting Saturday's 3-2 Serie A victory over Torino at the Stadio Olimpico.

And the 23-year-old, who has seen his time in the Italian capital to date blighted by injuries, is hopeful this is the start of a new chapter for him.

“I feel good after playing the last two games in a row,” Karsdorp told Roma Radio.

“I was out for a long time through injury but now I feel good.”

He added: “I was able to show a little bit of what I can do – but clearly I still need to get better. After almost two years without playing 90 minutes it was not easy.

"I think I showed something; with the ball at my feet I can play a bit like a midfielder but I still need to work on my defending. But I’ve certainly taken confidence from it. I hope that in the future I’ll have other opportunities to keep progressing.”

Reflecting on his struggles since joining from Feyenoord in the summer of 2017, Karsdorp acknowledged it had not always been straightforward.

“It was quite difficult, because in the Netherlands I had got used to playing every two or three days," he said.

"I came here, to a great team like Roma, and I had a little physical problem – and then when I finally made my debut I immediately suffered a bad knee injury. Fans ask me, ‘But are you always injured?’ And this really upset me, because in my career I had really never been in that situation before.

"People are also telling me I need to get better defensively, but I know that if I can get a run of games I will adapt and improve.”

He added: “Physically, what sort of percentage am I at? Against Torino I gave 100% so now I’m not so sure! But jokes aside, it’s a long time since I’ve played two games in a row – and I think perhaps you saw that in the second half on Saturday, because I was struggling – but I guess that is inevitable.

"In training I try to give everything and I am feeling better all the time. I’m confident that, if I managed to play every three days in the Netherlands, the I can do it here too. At the weekend the team showed great character to come through and win the game 3-2 – a game that perhaps a few weeks ago we would have struggled to see out."

Karsdorp is looking forward to Roma's Champions League last-16 tie with Porto, but knows he needs to do more in Serie A before he earns his spot for the biggest matches.

“Playing in the Champions League is an amazing feeling, I got a taste of it when I came on against Real Madrid – my debut in the competition," he noted.

"I hope to play more games [like that], but I need to improve and really show what I can do in the league first – because the Champions League is another step up and you need to be at your best.”