How did you end up in Roma’s Academy?

"When I was nine I joined Lodigiani, which was basically Rome's third-biggest team at the time as they were still playing in Serie C. After two years there I had to choose between Roma and Lazio because they both wanted me. I made up my mind when I went to Trigoria with my dad and met Bruno Conti, head of the academy. I don't remember what was said exactly but just the fact it was him and the way he welcomed me was enough to make me choose the Giallorossi."

Do you remember your trial or first training session? Were you nervous?

"I didn't have a trial as such. I remember the first training session clearly though. We were at Eucalipti, a pitch near Via Marconi in the south of the city. It was the 2001-02 season and I was just starting out with the Esordienti (U12s). I was quite nervous because it was the first time I'd worn the Roma kit and there were coaches from the club there. But I forgot it all as soon as we started playing. At the end of the day it was just us kicking a ball about on a pitch and having fun."

Who was the first star that you met?

"Not all the youth teams trained in Trigoria so it wasn't easy to meet the first-team players but I was lucky because I was a ball boy at the Olimpico. I started in 2002-03 and that's where I got to see all the players. One of the first players I saw close up was the captain [Francesco Totti]. I remember thinking he looked very big and I felt rather intimidated, but it only took a word from him and I immediately felt at ease."

Did you ever meet De Rossi when you were young? If so, what was that experience like?

"Funnily enough, the first time I met and spoke to Daniel wasn't at Trigoria but on the beach! I was in Ostia, where he was born and used to live. I remember he was with his dad, Alberto, who was already coaching the Primavera side and he knew me because although I was in a lower age group, he'd occasionally called me up to train with his team. That's how I met De Rossi the first time. We said hello to each other and chatted for a bit. Then a few years later I met him again in the first team. I get on really well with both him and Francesco."

You were ten years old when Roma last won the Scudetto. What are your most vivid memories of that time in the city?

"I have a really vivid memory of the last game of the season against Parma, which I watched at home. And I'll never forget the party afterwards – the whole city went wild. My father and I went around Rome the day we clinched the title and again the week after, when they had that party at Circus Maximus. Unforgettable."

Lots of young players join club academies but are released each summer. Did you worry that would happen to you?

"You do think about it sometimes because you hear about it and see it happening to other people you've met in the game who didn't get the same breaks you did. I think two things really help in that respect and they're both fundamental: having a good family and a strong mentality. You need to be strong mentally and for that you need people who care about you looking after you and teaching you good values. I was lucky because I had both my mum and dad who made sure I kept my feet on the ground, as they'd come from the street too. They made sure I understood right from the start how important it is not to get carried away and to work hard if you want to achieve your targets."

You must have had some real ups and downs during that time – did you have any particularly low moments?

"Yes, when I was in the Giovanissimi Nazionali team. I barely played in the regular season under coach Dario Scuderi. Then in the final phases a new coach, Andrea Stramaccioni [former Udinese and Inter head coach], came in. When he took over, I started every game, as I did the following year too when I moved up to the Allievi Nazionali with him."

What’s your best memory from your time in the Roma academy?

"Definitely winning the Scudetto with the Primavera in 2011. It was an incredible achievement, given that in the final against Varese we were trailing 2-1 in the 91st minute. Then, with almost the last kick of the game, Montini, our striker back then, scored, before bagging the winner in extra time. It was an amazing feeling because I was captain of the team too."