Zaniolo elated after making 'dream' debut for Italy

The 19-year-old took his bow for the Azzurri in Udine – the same city where a certain Francesco Totti made his international debut almost 21 years earlier. When this coincidence was pointed out to him, Zaniolo acknowledged that he still had a lot of work to do to build on his first appearance for Roberto Mancini’s side.

“Totti told me to keep my feet on the ground – you can reach the top very quickly, but staying there is a lot harder,” Zaniolo said.

“It’s an incredible feeling [to make my debut], one more dream that I have been able to see come true this year. Now I need to keep going like this, without getting big-headed, hoping to achieve more dreams in future.”

Zaniolo was asked to reflect on a season that has seen him go from talented youngster to an established presence for club and, now, country.

“I have to thank [former Roma coach Eusebio] Di Francesco a lot, he was one of the first to believe in me – another of those being Roberto Mancini,” Zaniolo said.

“He taught me a lot, both on and off the pitch, he taught me how to carry myself around older and more experienced people.

“For now I need to put the work in during training – I still have a lot of ways I can improve.”

Zaniolo made his debut on the same night that another teenager, Juventus forward Moise Kean, capped his debut with a first goal – becoming the second youngest player ever to score for the Azzurri.

Zaniolo and Kean know each other well and could go on to prove a formidable double act for the Azzurri in years to come.

“Moise is like any other 19-year-old, he loves to joke around,” Zaniolo said.

“I know him really well, we’ve spent a lot of time together. I don’t need to explain his ability. At the start of the game he said that he was going to score.”