Zaniolo thanks fans for support following injury comeback

Zaniolo ended a 204-day gap between goals for the Giallorossi with his strike to make it 3-0 at the Stadio Mario Rigamonti, a powerful left-footed effort that confirmed he is well on the way to returning to his best after suffering a serious knee injury in January.

Now looking to become an increasingly important factor for Paulo Fonseca's side over the remainder of the season, Zaniolo has acknowledged that he owes the fans a lot for their help during a difficult period.

“I wish I could thank each of the fans one by one for their support,” Zaniolo told asroma.com.

“So many of their messages said ‘We miss you’, but now it’s us that miss them – because right now it’s not easy playing without the support of our fans behind us.

“We need to be thinking of our fans, who are all watching the games at home, and try and finish off the season as strongly as we possibly can.”

Where was a goal on your list of targets after your injury?

“Well the main thing was to get back on the pitch, but the goal was definitely the No. 1 target I had – because it gives you a big boost ahead of the next games.

"It gives you confidence, it lifts your morale and above all it helped the team to win the game on Saturday. I’m really happy.”

What were you thinking in the build-up to the finish?

“I saw that Diego [Perotti] was carrying the ball forward, and I know that he is really good at playing through balls into space. I attacked the gap and he served me the ball. Just before shooting I thought to myself ‘Now I’ll have a crack’ and it went well. I’m really happy I was able to score.”

On Wednesday it is Hellas Verona who come to the Olimpico – what sort of Roma will they be facing?

“The same one from these last two games. After a poor run we’ve got back on a winning streak and against Verona we need to have the same attitude and focus we showed against Parma and Brescia. If we play like that again we can win, definitely.”