From the excitement of receiving a call from Italy head coach Roberto Mancini to walking through the gates of Coverciano for the first time, it has been a whirlwind few weeks for Matteo Palma. The young defender has experienced a series of career milestones, from choosing to represent Italy and scoring his first Serie A goal to taking part in his first training session with the senior national team.

The Udinese defender, born in 2008, spoke to Vivo Azzurro TV at Coverciano about his emotions and experiences over the past few days. The full interview is available on the Federation's OTT platform.

"I was training at the time, so I actually missed the coach's call at first," Palma recalled with a smile. Now, he has the opportunity to wear the Italy shirt. "It's something I never imagined would happen. It's a huge honour. I can't even put it into words. I've dreamed of this since I was a child."

This promises to be an important year in Matteo's development, both as a footballer and as a person, with his final school exams also approaching. Asked what he finds more difficult, marking a top striker or facing a maths oral exam, he joked: "Definitely the second one!" Education will remain part of his plans for the future. "Languages are my passion. I grew up in a bilingual family, speaking both Italian and German."