AS Roma midfielder Daniele de Rossi credits Antonio Conte for extending his career.
Conte has just been sacked as Chelsea manager.
“Several moments have changed me, first of all the one with Antonio Conte," De Rossi told Roma TV.
“He tells you things to the face and is attentive to preparation. I started working differently with him.
“At 34, he didn't say that you should run less than the others. LeBron James, in another sport at the same age as me, is doing better things now than when he was younger.
“Di Francesco? The situation compared to last season has improved, even though we achieved something last year.
“This season we're repeating the things we already did and it's good for the new faces.
“We've started preseason with the bulk of the squad. For us, being here [at Trigoria] is a miracle. We don't need to go up north.
“The physio has his equipment here, we have our rooms [to stay in]. Traveling to America is fascinating, but Trigoria has become truly beautiful.
“He's changed the way we play, from one of possession to going forward more. At the start with Conte, I was a bit confused because we never held on to the ball.
“From there, it's up to the quality of the player to understand when it's necessary to go forward and when to hold on to the ball."