Nicolo Zaniolo guested on Udinese Tonight yesterday evening. The number ten discussed a variety of topics, and here’s some of what he had to say:
“We all knew how important the anniversary of the earthquake was. We really wanted to win, even more so to commemorate this date. It was a great day - getting three points is always nice, and we wanted to celebrate together because Udine and Friuli deserve it.
"It always takes time to gel as a team, but we're putting in some great performances now. We've lacked some consistency throughout the season, but the important thing is to give it our all, which we always do. This team is yet to reach its full potential - we have some incredible young talents mixed with experienced players. If we find consistency, we can achieve great things.
"A season is made up of moments, but this applies to all clubs in what’s an evenly-contested Serie A. We learn things when we lose. We're a young team, and every experience serves a purpose. We've improved a lot through experiencing difficult moments. Consistency will come, but for now, we're just enjoying the here and now.
“I'm not a true forward who lives for goals. Recently I've been scoring less, but I'm providing more assists. In the first half of the season maybe it was the other way around. The important thing is to always give everything and help the team, and obviously every player hopes to get on the scoresheet because it's the best feeling in the world. However, if you were to say to me now, 'In the last three games you don't score but you make three assists,' I'd be happy.
“In one of the first interviews I did after joining Udinese I was asked what my aims were for the season, and I said: 'To get back to being myself and enjoying my football.' When you succeed, performances come naturally. It’s because if your mind is in a good place, you perform better. In recent years, I've had several problems and haven't shown my qualities, but class is permanent.
“I’d reached a point where I was running out of opportunities, after my experiences with Aston Villa, Atalanta and Fiorentina, which hadn't gone well. I said to myself, 'This is one of your last chances, give it your best shot,' and I listened to what Udinese had to say. I’ve always been told that Udinese is a club that's good at reviving and developing players, and so I seized the opportunity.
“When you feel part of a project and know you're important to it, you automatically take on responsibility and give it your all, because you know that you can make a difference. My experience means that I can lend a hand to the younger players.”