Australian teenager Daniel De Silva is eyeing a dream debut for AS Roma against Real Madrid in the upcoming International Champions Cup (ICC) in Melbourne.
The ex-Perth Glory playmaker has been included in the Roma squad for the tournament and could be thrust into action against Real at the MCG on Saturday night.
De Silva was given a farewell by his ex-Glory team-mates on Monday before heading off to link up with his new side for the ICC, which also features EPL heavyweights Manchester City.
“Hopefully I’ll have some good sessions there and have my debut against a team like Real Madrid or Man City,” De Silva told reporters in Perth on Monday.
“If I come on against the likes of Ronaldo and I’m only 18 years old, it would be unbelievable to make my debut against those teams.
“It will be a little bit easier being in Australia, meeting the boys…maybe I can show them around Melbourne.
“It’s been a long time coming but now it’s very close, there’s only a couple of weeks until I leave [for Italy}. It’s starting to hit home but I’m really excited about what the future has in store.”
In a huge treat for Aussie fans, Italian legend Totti is also part of the Roma squad.
And De Silva admits he is thrilled to finally get the chance to meet his new team-mate and one of the most revered players in the game.
“Growing up I watched some of them a lot. The likes of Totti, who’s won the World Cup,”
“It will be fantastic for me to learn off them. I’ve already been learning off some great players in the Socceroos as well.
“To learn off some of the best players in the world like Totti, [Daniele] de Rossi, Gervinho will be fantastic for me and help my football to develop as well.”
