It sounds strange saying it, but Francesco Camarda could be referred to as the ‘most experienced’ player in Massimiliano Favo’s U17 squad despite being the youngest one in the group. That’s because he’s already made his debut for AC Milan in the Youth League – and he scored a brace in that game against Newcastle, too. When asked about how he manages to keep his feet on the ground with all the attention he’s receiving, Francesco, who will turn 16 in March, responded in a very mature manner: “If I score, it’s down to the work of the whole team. If you want to be a footballer, this is how you need to think.”

He's in the second year at a high school specialising in languages “because my parents place high importance on education and I shouldn’t just focus all my efforts on football. My favourite subjects are English and, of course, physical education.”

On Wednesday, at the Stadio Valentino Mazzola in Santarcangelo di Romagna, he made his official Italy debut in a UEFA competition as the Azzurrini played their opening match in the first stage of Euro qualifying. He was one of the players on the scoresheet in the 4-0 victory over San Marino: “Wearing the Italy shirt is always an honour. It’s wonderful hearing the national anthem and enjoying it with your teammates.” The win arrived after a dominant Azzurrini display against a side that sat deep: “The Coach told us that it could be complicated and that we’d need to do well in front of goal. With these kinds of games, there’s the risk of underestimating your opponents, but our approach to the match was spot on.”

Camarda continued: “We’re a very united group. We like to have a laugh, but we also know when it’s time to work seriously and be focused out on the pitch. We have the right mentality.”

He was then asked about the attacker he draws inspiration from: “My idol has always been Ronaldo, the Phenomenon. My father was also a real fan of his. I like watching videos of him and seeing how he moved. Out of those in the game today, I really like Benzema.”

Tomorrow, the Azzurrini will return to Santarcangelo di Romagna for their next qualifying match against a Northern Ireland side who lost 2-0 to Greece in their opening fixture. The game, which will kick off at 15:00 CEST, will be streamed live on figc.it.

Tournament format. The Azzurrini, who are set to face Greece, Northern Ireland and San Marino, will take to the pitch in Santarcangelo di Romagna and Forlì during the Qualifying Round. The top two teams in each of the 13 groups will progress to the Elite Round along with the five third-placed teams with the best records against the top two in their section. March's elite round, which will see 32 teams divided into eight groups of four teams each, will then decide the 15 teams joining Cyprus in the finals from 20 May to 5 June.

Squad list

Goalkeepers: Alessandro Nunziante (Benevento), Massimo Pessina (Bologna)
Defenders: Cristian Cama (Roma), Federico Colombo (Milan), Matteo Cocchi (Inter), Christian Garofalo (Napoli), Manuel Maffessoli (Atalanta), Francesco Verde (Juventus), Giorgio Vezzosi (Sassuolo)
Midfielders: Alessandro Di Nunzio (Roma), Federico Coletta (Roma), Niccolò Gariani (Atalanta), Mattia Liberali (Milan), Alessandro Olivieri (Empoli), Diego Pisani (Fiorentina), Elia Plicco (Parma)
Forwards: Francesco Camarda (Milan), Alex Castiello (Atalanta), Stefano Maiorana (Fiorentina), Mattia Mosconi (Inter)

Staff – Head Coach: Massimiliano Favo; National Youth Team Coordinator: Maurizio Viscidi; Delegation Head: Filippo Corti; Club Italia: Giuseppe Martucci; Assistant Coach: Matteo Barella; Fitness Coach: Adalberto Zamuner; Goalkeeping Coach: Davide Quironi; Match analyst: Andrea Loiacono; Doctors: Alessio Rossato and Francesco Maria Nifosi; Physiotherapists: Marco Fiore and Enrico Matera; Nutritionist: Claudio Pecorella; School Tutor: Stefano Presciutti; Secretary: Massimo Petracchini.

Qualifying Round, Group 11: results, fixtures and table

Wednesday 25 October
Northern Ireland 0-2 Greece
Italy 4-0 San Marino

Saturday 28 October
Greece vs. San Marino (12:00 CEST - Cervia, Stadio Germano Todoli)
Italy vs. Northern Ireland (15:00 CEST - Santarcangelo di Romagna, Stadio Valentino Mazzola. Live on figc.it)

Tuesday 31 October
Greece vs. Italy (15:00 CET - Forlì, stadio Tullo Morgagni)
San Marino vs. Northern Ireland (15:00 CET - Santarcangelo di Romagna, Stadio Valentino Mazzola)

Table: Italy and Greece 3 points, Northern Ireland and San Marino 0