Italy coach Cesare Prandelli says Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli has huge potential.
Prandelli invited Balotelli to make his senior Italy debut, but the Manchester City striker has since been out of action following knee surgery.
He said: "He is potentially an extraordinary player, even if in the last few months there has been more focus on him as a media caricature than a footballer.
"I had a great chat with him and he seemed motivated. It's taking a while to recover from this injury, but he just needs to work consistently and it seems to me that's what he's doing."
