Matthew Le God

Interview... First name: Graziano Surname: Pellè Bad habits: Not many, apart from biting my nails due to the stress after games. You moved to Southampton last July, how are you adapting to live in England? It’s ok now. The first month wasn’t very easy, even though I’m quite a positive person and don’t usually suffer from homesickness. But of course it’s better after those goals. What are the differences between Southampton, Alkmaar and Rotterdam? Alkmaar is a small town. They have their cheese trade show there. It’s particular, it’s funny and it’s a place where you can live well. As for Rotterdam, you can still see the damage from the war- they’re in a rebuilding stage. They have one of the biggest ports in the world. It’s a very beautiful city, there’s an old part of the city and a new one- there’s a marked distinction between the two. Southampton is another city with a port. It seems I always go to places where there’s the sea. I still have to get to know the city, I have just arrived, and there’s time. You were given the nickname “Italian Stallion” in Holland after scoring 50 goals in 57 matches there. Is that true? Yes, it’s true. I don’t know the details, I don’t know why they chose the name stallion… Joking aside, the head coach and his staff trusted me a lot and I rewarded them with a lot of goals. If I hadn’t scored all those goals, I wouldn’t be here now. Tell us the weirdest thing that happened whilst you were in the Netherlands There are a lot… When I was signing for AZ, I was discussing what shirt number I could have with Louis Van Gaal. I love the number 9, be it 9, 19 or 18- I’m not afraid of fate. Anyway, I like the number 9 because it symbolizes the striker. Van Gaal told me: “9 is taken, 19 is too… Ok, 90 or 99”. I replied: “No, no please, not those high numbers. Which number are you going to give me?” He: “29 or 39”… And I said: “I don’t like 29 very much”. Van Gaal said: “Then 90 or 99”, and I reiterated my disappointment. Van Gaal is very strict and I eventually said: “Then I’m not signing for the club”. He got very angry, stood up and went to my agent and said to him: “How dare this guy to do something like that?” I then told him that I was joking. He is a great coach too. You converted a panenka penalty at the U21-Euros in Holland in 2007. Did you draw inspiration from Totti, who did the same at Euro 2000 in Holland too? Yes, it was great to watch his successful panenka penalty kick. He is obviously a specialist at it. I had a verbal wager with Montolivo and Chiellini and they told me: If you have the courage, then do it! The adrenaline of the game helped me stay calm. I felt more tense when I saw the penalty on TV after the game. Which player inspired you to play football? My father. He used to play in minor leagues. He got to play in Serie C, but if you speak to all his former colleagues, it looks like they were Van Basten or Rijkaard. They keep saying that it was a lot more difficult back then to make it to Serie C, you know, the usual stories. He used to show me all the videos of great players: Van Basten, the Brazilian Ronaldo, I grew up drawing inspiration from all the great players who used to play back then. We know that you were a dancing champion and that this is a passion of yours. How did it start? My mother loved dancing, my three-year-older sister also did it. It was a two-person-dance, so she needed a partner. I said that I would dance with my sister to make my mother happy. I even had to use heels because my older sister was taller than me. When I started playing for Lecce, I quit dancing because it was a great opportunity and my mother understood that. What would you do in order to score your first ever goal for the senior national team? I better not reveal that because I would be forced by my teammates to actually do it. I’ll give my all, but I don’t know what I’d do. Now say hello to the Vivo Azzurro users through a sentence in dialect from Salento, in Dutch and English.

Or you could watch the video...

For Bearsy and Tokyo-Saint some newgens will grow moustaches in Movember, I guess that will be their favourite feature!

Game released on 7th November.

I'm not, are you? With your fuzzy hairstyle I wouldn't like to be the person behind you in the cinema.

If I tell you anything I shouldn't then Sonic the Hedgehog will hire a hitman to take me out. My pr!ckly overlord is not a man(hedgehog) to be messed with! I'm sure you can be patient and wait until 8:40pm tonight.

I think you'll have to keep guessing. Could take you a while...

Details of whats new in Football Manager 2015 will be revealed at 20:40 tonight.

Umm... no.

From Koeman's press conference on 18th September... http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/29260844?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

The 1st half wasn't great, but I find it hard to see how someone can describe the second half as "rubbish".

That is a prerequisite for any keeper. As great as he's been for Saints, he is out of his depth starting Premier League games.

Saints have 3 keepers at every game home/away in case the starter or sub keeper are injured and a late change is needed.

Dani Osvaldo & Graziano Pellè can reminisce of good times on the English south coast whilst in the Italian team hotel together...

Southampton FC ‏@SouthamptonFC He’s in! #SaintsFC striker @GPelle19 has been included in the @azzurri for the first time.

Saints play that formation when Pelle plays, Koeman switches between a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-3-3 during games.

Isn't Pelle the furthest to the left of all the players in this photo? https://twitter.com/RonaldKoeman/status/518392335487737856/photo/1

This was live on youtube at 3pm...

What about Tony Byrne? At Saints from 1964 to 1974 and won his first cap for the Republic of Ireland in 1969.

Southampton FC ‏@SouthamptonFC 5 minutes ago PRESS CONFERENCE: Watch @RonaldKoeman's pre-#THFC press conference live on YouTube from around 3.00pm BST.

Does he really need to have a lot of game time for Liverpool in order to play for England, when his role for Liverpool and England are similar? He is Rodgers and Hodgson's plan B in the 80th minute if they need a goal.

He had abdominal surgery and is recovering.