Francesco Totti hopes hard work in pre-season will translate into a successful campaign on the pitch, as he prepares for his 25th and final season as a Roma player.

Totti, embarking on his 25th successive pre-season in a remarkable career, admits that such longevity means a lot to him – but is under no illusions about how hard coach Luciano Spalletti will work him and the rest of the squad as they prepare for the 2016-17 season.

The work starts this week in Pinzolo.

“It’s a special feeling,” Totti told asroma.com. “It’s also my 25th consecutive camp with the same team – which I don’t think many other players have done. That’s a great source of pride for me.”

On Spalletti's famously arduous pre-seasons, he added: “I know what we are in for here. It’s a different preparation than other teams – it’s hard work but it’s good work. The workloads are never back-breaking, and we’re also smiling a lot.

"We’re all happy to be here and work hard together for Roma.”