After making his debut in last weekend’s friendly against FC Koper, Riccardo Pinzi made a guest appearance on ‘Udinese Tonight’. Below are some of the thoughts he shared on the programme:
“I didn’t think I’d be playing in the friendly. When coach Luca Gotti called upon me to play the last 20 minutes it was amazing. The first time I got the ball I gave it away but I dusted myself down and had a good game. The boss gave me some advice before going on and then experienced players such as Marvin Zeegelaar and Sebastien De Maio helped me along while I was playing.
“I tried to play my game but I didn’t want to overdo it. I had the chance to score but I chose to play it to Mato Jajalo. I then realised I’d opted for the wrong choice, but you learn through making mistakes.
“My dad didn’t say a lot to be after the game. He just said that I should’ve taken a shot instead of passing it to Jajalo. To be honest he doesn’t give me a lot of advice but I prefer it this way.
“The fact that I’m the son of a famous player doesn’t change anything for me. Perhaps it differs from person to person but I’m not interested in what others have to say; I follow my gut instinct.
“When I was a child I used to go and watch my dad play. I’ve got amazing memories of that period; I used to watch every game. I even followed Udinese on the road, such as an away game at Arsenal.
“It was always great to see people stop my dad in the street to ask for an autograph. It still happens nowadays, albeit less so. I hope that I have a career as good as his, if not better.
“We’re different as players, although I’ve taken things on board from him. He was a bit more ruthless, while I’ve got more pace to my game.
“We’ve started off well in the youth team, getting five wins and two draws. It’s a shame we dropped two points against Como, though.”