Fiorentina striker Giampaolo Pazzini has spoken about his respect for former Viola forward Luca Toni.
Talking to Piero Chiambretti on Italian TV show ‘Markette’, the 23-year-old Tuscan responded to being called ‘Little-Toni’.
“I cannot compare myself to Toni,” said the youngster. “He is the strongest attacker in circulation at the moment.”
Despite scoring nine goals this term, the former Atalanta youngster has come in for some criticism with journalists questioning his efficacy and status as the Azzurri striker’s successor.
Toni became a legend in Florence, netting 47 times in 67 appearances for the Gigliati over a two year period. In 2006 he won the European Golden Boot and won the World Cup.
Desperate to step out from under the Bayern Munich star’s shadow, Pazzini, voted Italy’s Young Player of the Season in 2005, insisted he could only be himself.
“I’ll only be Giampaolo Pazzini,” he noted.
Swiftly moving on, the former Azzurrini spoke about his memorable hat-trick for Italy’s Under-21s in the first game at the new Wembley.
“It was a day that I will never forget,” insisted the prodigy. “A day that I will remember forever.”
As a young talent, Pazzini was also asked to cast his eye over Italy’s hot prospects, highlighting his friend and teammate Riccardo Montolivo and Torino’s Alessandro Rosina as the Azzurri’s future.
“Riccardo and I get on off the pitch and we find each other well on it, while Rosina is a great player,” he concluded.