Diawara: Yaya Toure made me crazy

Inter's Valentino Lazaro (R) and Roma's Amadou Diawara in action

Saturday May 16, 2020. 09:00

Guinea international Amadou Diawara is keen to emulate legendary Ivorian midfielder Yaya Toure.

Toure is one of the greatest African players of all-time having won the most CAF Footballer of the Year awards (four)- a record which he shares with Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o.

Diawara, 22, is in his first season with Serie A giants AS Roma having joined the club from Italian side Napoli ahead of the current season.

“He [Toure] was a great player and a symbol for all the Africans who play in this role,” Diawara said on Goal.

“I liked everything about him, from the game vision to the tranquillity with the ball. He made me crazy as a child. I have to do a few more goals to look like him but with a little work I can get there.”

“When I arrived at Roma I had no continuity of play, I was also hurt. I went to the Africa Cup of Nations, it helped me a lot and I came back even earlier to start working with my teammates,” he continued.

“It was not easy to immediately get into the mechanisms of the team, I waited for the moment knowing that when I found continuity I would not disappoint the Roma fans and it was like that.”

The current Serie A season was suspended two months ago due to the coronavirus, but the Italian government recently eased the lockdown restrictions in the country.

“When we get back on the field, it will be like at the beginning of the championship. We come from a long stop, we trained at home,” he added.

“We will need the strength to start again and go a thousand to reach our goal. We hope to return to the field. If we play, our goal is to reach the top four.”