Michael Kayode has expressed his delight after making an impressive debut for Italy, Completesports.com reports. The Brentford defender was one of Italy’s standout performers in their emphatic 4-1 Nations League victory over Turkey, making an immediate impact with a goal and an assist. The 22-year-old set up Davide Frattesi for Italy’s opening goal before doubling the Azzurri’s advantage with his first international goal.
“I didn’t expect my debut to go like this, so I am really happy,” Kayode said after the game. “We played in the first half with a fantastic simplicity and determination. We wanted to really prove ourselves in a difficult match in an incredible stadium atmosphere, so winning here was fantastic.” Although eligible to represent Nigeria, Kayode revealed that he never seriously considered switching allegiance after progressing through Italy’s youth ranks.
“It was a very easy decision. I went through all the youth teams here. Nigeria approached me, but I never thought about changing national teams,” he told Football Italia. “I think Italy have always been a great national team, and playing here is an honour.”