MILAN – Nerazzurri legend Dejan Stankovic has revealed that he hopes to spend the rest of his career at Inter.
The former midfielder, who clocked up 326 appearances during a nine-year playing career in black and blue, returned to take up a role as first-team club manager last summer.
Answering questions from fans on InterNos today, Deki looked back on some of the highlights of his trophy-laden spell at the club and said he feels Inter is the place he should be.
"I was lucky enough to enjoy a successful career at a massive club like Inter - that's the best thing a player could hope for," he began on the weekly Inter Channel show.
“Now my life and daily routine are very different to before but I have this wonderful opportunity to carry on working here. I really am very lucky as I get to work with people I've known for more than ten years. I feel at home here and working alongside Pupi [Zanetti] again is a bit like rolling back the years. I hope to stay here forever."
Besides winning a wealth of silverware at club level, the 37-year-old is widely considered as one of Serbia's all-time greatest players and holds the record for most caps with his national side.
"I'm very proud of what I did with Serbia. I love my roots and I always honoured my country's colours. If it hadn't been for injuries and suspensions I could have made even more appearances."
Stankovic is often remembered for scoring some spectacular long-range goals during his playing days, including three from the halfway line.
"It came spontaneously to me to shoot from there. I knew I had a hard shot and could get enough behind it to reach goal even from that far out. I scored two for Inter and one for Serbia like that. I also hit the bar on two or three other occasions."
Turning to the present day, Deki discussed the current Nerazzurri squad and fielded questions about some of the players.
"I like the group we have here working alongside Mancini. We're having a good season and no one expected us to be so high up the table. We've made a few mistakes but we're a young team with lots of quality and hunger for success."
On Ljajic: "He's upped his game. I told him this should be his year and game by game he's managed to put his skills at the service of the team. He deserves praise because in the last few matches he's shown what a talented player he is."
On Perisic: "We're waiting for him to hit top gear. He's settled in well but still has lots of margin for improvement."
On Brozovic: "Seeing him close up every day I've realised just what a fine player he is."
Stankovic proceeded to answer questions from fans on all manner of topics:
The most exciting win? "The Champions League final in Madrid. That day I was repaid for everything I'd put into the game."
Your most important goal? "If we're talking important for my career, I'd say the first ones I scored with Red Star because they got me noticed and altered my path in the game. If we're talking about the best ones, it would have to be the goals I scored in derby games, against Roma and AC Milan."
Your best season? "My last year with Red Star, my second season with Mancini and the first with Mourinho. Those years I felt on top of my game on a personal level."
Which former team-mates do you still speak to? "Mainly Materazzi, Chivu, Sneijder and Pandev but I also keep in touch with Julio Cesar, Maicon, Samuel, Milito, Cambiasso... It's nice to meet up every now and then. We were part of a fantastic team that was incredibly close knit."
The ex-midfielder also commented on his last appearance for Inter. "You feel sad but at the same time you're a whirlwind of emotions. With all the banners and videos, I was in shock. When I got home I had to watch it all again because I couldn't remember any of what had happened."
Finally, was asked about the love the Inter fans have shown him: "It makes me proud. It means I left a good impression on them."
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