Cagliari midfielder Nicolo Barella admits he has several role-models in the game.

Barella is currently with the senior Italy squad.

He stated, “I've thought about emulating [Gigi] Riva at Cagliari, but right now I don't know what my future will be.

“Transfer rumours are nice to hear, but I still haven't talked to any other clubs, also because I made a commitment, to stay until June and keep up Cagliari.

“Playing with Jorginho and Verratti is an advantage for me: I try to do more work between the lines, but I also track back because I, like various players all over the field, recover balls.

“For me, recovering a ball is like scoring a goal. On the field I'm someone who gives everything, whether I play with Cagliari, the national team or friends.

“In the national team, there are more experienced players who give me a hand and make things easier.

“At Cagliari I play as a No 10 and my game has probably developed a lot: I think more about making the best moves for the team and not myself. For that, I must thank Maran.

“Finland are a compact and very physical team. They're good at set-pieces and they'll wait for us to make a mistake.

“We'll have to be careful. The coach leaves us in peace, he lets us have fun and play football."