16 January 2015
Roberto Pereyra believes his versatility is down to his formative years playing street football in his native Argentina, he reveals during an exclusive interview in the forthcoming edition of HJ Magazine.
In a sneak preview of the lengthy chat with the 24-year-old midfielder, he says: “We'd play barefoot but we didn't care. If there's a ball to kick about, you don't feel anything and you think about nothing else.
“You learn so much when there are no restrictions. Close control, dirty little tricks, the courage to try out moves and go in hard on tackles. It's very intense and it teaches you to play by instinct. The real game seems so much easier after that.”
Pereyra also touches on his first impressions of life in Turin after making the step up from Udinese to the reigning Serie A champions in the summer.
“There's an extra edge at a club like Juve: you have to win every game. It's an obsession that starts during the week. Every ounce of energy goes into achieving that target. But it's better that way. Playing alongside world-class performers makes it easier though.
“Another thing I've realised in Turin is that if you observe everything closely – Andrea's moves, Carlitos' energy, the gaffer's pointers – then anything is possible. You see that after three titles in a row no one has lost their desire, and that hunger for success is contagious.”
Stay tuned for the full version of HJ Magazine, coming soon on tablets and smartphones.
