El Shaarawy: Hard work is paying off for me

The forward, who scored his 10th goal of the Serie A campaign during last weekend's draw with Inter, believes Roma remain firmly in the hunt for a top four finish - but need to make sure they do everything in their power, starting by winning Saturday's meeting with Cagliari.

Read what he had to say during an exclusive interview with Sky Sport Italia on Friday...

Did you ever expect the Champions League race would be so tight at this point?

“Clearly six or seven sides are in the running and that is something few expected – although it’s not a massive shock, they have all shown they have the ability to compete. It’s like that because of the great work of some and the slips from others – by which I mean the points that the big clubs have dropped along the way. In the run-in it’s form, the mental approach and experience that could prove decisive.”

On Saturday you host Cagliari – what risks does the match pose?

“Cagliari are a side that every team respects. They are coming off a run of good results, they are scoring freely. We know how dangerous Pavoletti can be in the air, and they want to keep climbing up the standings. It will be a battle.”

With 10 goals, you are the top goalscorer for Roma in the league this season. What does that mean to you?

“It means a lot, these small achievements give me a boost – it shows I’ve found some consistency. I’m happy with how I’m playing, not just in terms of the numbers but with my overall performances – I’ve been working hard on myself and how I prepare for games, and now I’m starting to see the rewards.”

Now with Edin Dzeko you seem to have a good relationship…

“Yes, we are working well together. Edin wants to play for the team, what happened is in the past now. At the end of the season everyone is a bit nervous and mentally a bit tired, but that shows we want to go on and achieve something. Now everything is fine and we both want to help each other on the pitch.”

What does the coach ask from you?

“Ranieri asks us to work hard in both phases of the game, recently I’ve been scoring more but I’ve also been playing a bit futher back. He likes his sides to be compact, he’s a pragmatic coach.”

You’ve always said you feel comfortable here…

“Yes, and always more so. I’m still very happy here – I told the club that we can speak at the end of the season, but I am happy here and right now want to focus on qualifying for the Champions League.”

Five Roma players in the national team also says a lot about the side…

“It means that Roma puts faith in younger players and they respond to that well. Pellegrini and Cristante have shown that they know how to impose themselves at the highest level. Then there is Nicolo [Zaniolo], who has exploded onto the scene. It means Italy can be optimistic about its future.”