Udinese coach Luca Gotti hailed the leadership of Rodrigo de Paul after their 1-1 draw with Genoa.

A De Paul penalty canceled out a Goran Pandev opener.

“The deadlock was broken by a fantastic goal from Pandev and I think when you see a goal created out of nowhere like that, you can only tip your hat and applaud," Gotti told DAZN.

“Up until the final minutes, we felt like we were leaving here having dropped two points, but the chances at the end for Genoa made us feel perhaps happier with the draw.

“Those last 90 seconds or so did leave a bitter taste in the mouth, as we almost threw it all away."

Gotti also said: "The future depends on the so-called important players in this squad and what the club decides to do. I realise the transfer market isn't as lucrative as it was in the past.

"De Paul has been here for five years, every time he gets his head down and works harder than ever before. We'll eventually sit down and work out a common strategy.

"He is mentally so strong, as he goes on international duty with Argentina, sharing a locker room with players from Barcelona, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, yet every time he comes back here to Udine and works harder than anyone. You couldn't blame him for being tempted.

"Alongside the growth of the player, which everyone has been able to witness on the pitch, I also saw De Paul grow as a person over the last two years.

"He has this leadership within the squad that comes from a place of positivity. There are different ways to be a leader, some are authoritarian, but he has this sort of halo of positivity that spreads out and envelops everyone around him."