Inter’s talented young defender Alessandro Bastoni has witnessed a drastic rise in the quality of his performances since the last couple of seasons, helping the Nerazzurri to Scudetto glory last season and etching himself as one of the first names on the team sheet.
The 22-year-old was on the other end of Italian Twitch channel ‘Gli Autogol’ (via FCInterNews) and took the opportunity to shine light on topics that have contributed to his accelerated growth.
The centre-back has credited the start of his Nerazzurri journey to former manager Antonio Conte, under who he chiseled a place in the starting eleven.
“I thank him so much because he gave me confidence right away. I was coming from a good season in Parma, then I was good at paying it back. Without his teachings, I wouldn’t be here now,” he said.
When quizzed about who he looks up to for motivation and inspiration, he chalked out three names on the top of his head.
He said: “In addition to the Materazzi and Samuel, one I take as an example is Sergio Ramos. I was lucky enough to talk to him after Inter-Real, then he sent me his shirt on my birthday. I like how he plays, his attitude on and off the pitch: I try to follow him in everything he does.”
He also named his fellow young teammate, both with Italy and Inter, as the strongest player he has played with till date.
“For polyvalence I say Barella, he does everything. He lacks the gloves to be a goalkeeper.”
Inter sit third in the league table with 17 points, two behind Milan and four behind Napoli – all three teams remain undefeated so far.