Former Roma defender Leandro Cufre says Antonio Cassano was as good a footballer as he ever saw.

Cufre played alongside Cassano at Roma between 2002 and 2006 before the forward moved to Real Madrid.

"I have very good memories of Antonio," Cufre told FM94.7.

"If he'd been a bit more professional, he'd have been one of the best players in the world.

"He was a great player.

"In a training session, he scored a backheel cross.

"I've seen very few players like him.

"He didn't like to train much.

"He wasn't one to drink alcohol nor stay out late, but he struggled to train.

"I saw him do things of the highest level, things that I haven't even seen Messi do, who I played alongside in 2006, I saw him do those things.

"Antonio was an extraordinary player who unfortunately didn't have the mind to be a great professional.

"He thought he could achieve everything in football without training or just training a bit."