[D-Kin]

Bottone living Azzurrini dream Monday 19 November, 2007

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Torino midfielder Davide Bottone has spoken of his pride after receiving a shock call-up to Pierluigi Casiraghi’s Azzurrini squad.

The Under-21 side have been hit with injuries and Claudio Marchisio and Marco Rossi were forced to pull out at the eleventh hour before the thumping win over Azerbaijan.

Daniele Dessena and Robert Acquafresca picked up bookings last Friday and are suspended leaving Bologna’s Milan-owned hitman Davide Di Gennaro and 21-year-old Turin native Bottone to receive the call to face the Faroe Islands.

“It is a dream come true,” Bottone told Tuttosport. “I want to thank Toro President Urbano Cairo as he spent the money to buy me from Varese and I hope that this will also please him.

“I can never thank Walter Novellino enough for what he has done for me. From my first training session at Malles he has treated me like any other player and shown faith in me. I will always be thankful to him.”

Torino’s squad is full of promising youth prospects with Marco Motta and Matteo Rubin already capped at Under-21 level and Tommaso Vailatti tipped to follow.

Di Gennaro has made just one appearance for Milan to date when he replaced Alessandro Costacurta against Udinese last season in the veteran stopper’s emotional San Siro farewell.

However, the promising striker has hit two goals in six games for Serie B promotion contenders Bologna and will hope to make his mark on the international stage on Wednesday.

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