De Zerbi: Estupinan a rough diamond

Roberto De Zerbi has high hopes for his ‘rough diamond’ Pervis Estupinan.

The Ecuadorian defender returned to the side for the Italian's first game at Liverpool last week and is one of several players to have impressed the new coach.

De Zerbi says he is prepared for the 24-year-old to make mistakes because he believes as he gets more experience he will become an even better player.  

“He’s very young and he’s a rough diamond. But he’s already providing good performances and we have to work to polish him, and we will do that by trusting him and giving him the chance to make mistakes and, of course, giving him the chance to play.

“In Italy, we talk about a lot about young players, how they improve, how they have to grow. The only way to develop young players is to risk and give them the chance to mature on the pitch.”

De Zerbi has been able to spend a full week with the players and it confirmed his view that he has inherited a quality squad.

“I have discovered players that I didn't know that well. For example, I didn't think [Danny] Welbeck was so strong, he is a fantastic player. [Adam] Webster and [Lewis] Dunk I didn't understand until the end at Liverpool but now I've realised they are very good, strong players.

“The real surprise was the impact of the game at Liverpool. It’s like when two people are meeting for the first time and you give them that business card as if to say, 'Very nice to meet you', we're like this. And from the pitch I had the feeling of 'Wow, what a great team we have'.

De Zerbi was on the pitch with the players during the warm-up at Anfield and will do so again today at the Amex.

Asked why, he said, “To understand the stadium and the atmosphere and to look at how the players are doing the warm-up. We need to be very focussed.

“It’s to understand whether, when we return to the changing room, I should speak in a quieter or a louder voice!”