APPIANO GENTILE – Fresh from his victory in the U19 Coppa Italia final, Rey Manaj joined InterNos in the studios: "I was absolutely delighted, particularly for the other players in the Primavera who worked all year towards this. I was happy I scored but more so for my team-mates, the coach and the whole set-up."
The thrill of his Inter debut in the league is never far from his thoughts: "For a footballer, your debut in Serie A is a big thing, but it wasn't my overall club debut so let's say I was just the right level of excited."
Despite still being a youngster, the Albanian forward has integrated well with the senior team during his first year at the club: "I've been lucky that they're all great people as well as footballers, which is ideal for my development. I'm good friends with Gary Medel, we spent pre-season together and then started going out for dinner with our girlfriends. That's where the friendship started. He gives me advice and tells me when I've gone wrong, as do the other players."
As an 18-year-old, Manaj knows he's got plenty of room for improvement in certain aspects of his game: "There are many things, especially in my movement. And heading as well, I have to work on that because I've never scored a lot with my head.
"The best defenders I've ever come up against are here at Inter."
The forward also revealed the goings-on behind his first contact with Inter: "I was very happy. A few other clubs had their eyes on me but I've been an Inter fan since I was young, so I told my family and agent not to tell me anything during the season so I could focus on playing for my team at the time. I found out there was a chance to come here in June and I didn't have any doubts between the Nerazzurri and Juventus."
Lastly there were a few insights on his life as a professional footballer, from the food he eats to the music he uses to fire himself up before games: "Biscuit slices with honey or jam for breakfast, pasta for lunch and fruit and vegetables in the evening. My playlist is mainly reggaeton."
The full interview will be broadcast this evening at 21:00 CET on Inter Channel.
