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Gianluigi Donnarumma gave his first press conference as a Manchester City player on Sunday and held the audience in the palm of his hands.
Gianluigi Donnarumma's mother will face split loyalties when she attends her son's first Champions League game for Manchester City on Thursday night.
Donnarumma is a boyhood Neapolitan and his family still live in the area. Mum Marinella is among the relatives heading to the Etihad on Thursday to watch her son in action, but on Wednesday, the 26-year-old goalkeeper still wasn't sure where her support would fall.
Napoli as a club and Naples as a city are close to Donnarumma's heart, and after pulling up a seat in the media auditorium at the City Football Academy for his first press conference since his £26million move from Paris St-Germain, you could hardly wipe the smile from his face.
The "excitement" at facing Napoli and the thrill of joining a club he had set his heart on from the start of the summer have combined to make this a memorable week for Donnarumma. Throw in his excellent debut against Manchester United at the weekend, and you can see why he was beaming from ear to ear.
For all the discussion about what he can do with his feet, we know that Donnarumma is a safe pair of hands, and that was the case in front of a microphone as well. From his kicking to his friendship with Erling Haaland, from why he left PSG to when City made their move for him, he was a confident and assured talker in front of a room packed full of English and Italian journalists.
Still learning English, Donnarumma answered every question in Italian but barely skipped a beat. He might not be Pep Guardiola's ideal goalkeeper stylistically, but he is an ideal Guardiola footballer. Confident but humble and all about the team, he looks right at home already.
Although he has been at the club for less than a week and has played just one game, he already has the self-assurance to pass on everything he knows about Napoli, their Italian internationals, Antonio Conte, and his teammates.
A Champions League winner last season with PSG and the best goalkeeper in the competition, Donnarumma now wants to win it with City, and he wants to get off to the perfect start.
"One of the objectives we have is this [trophy], we have to always dream big but do it with humility," he said. "The first one in the Champions League is always the most complex one.
"I know Napoli very well, the city very well, the coach and some of my national team teammates are there, so I know it’s a great team we’re playing against and I also say these things in the changing room."
Guardiola has already appointed his leadership group this season, but it doesn't take a leap of faith to imagine Donnarumma quickly establishing himself as one of the biggest voices in the dressing room.
On Wednesday, he spoke about the importance of himself celebrating goals and his teammates celebrating saves, both of which happened in the 3-0 win against United.
He also reacted calmly to the one question that could have ruffled his feathers. If his quality as a goalkeeper isn't in doubt, it's his ability with his feet that has led to queries as to whether he is a good fit for Guardiola's system or not.
Donnarumma expressed confidence that he could improve in that area under Guardiola's guidance but also stressed that it was about decision-making as much as passing ability.
"You have to sniff out danger, when you’re in a tricky moment, you have to be able to read situations," he said. "There are moments you can force play and moments when it’s better to kick it long and avoid dangerous situations. You have to be good at knowing how to read the situation, when you can play, you play and when you can’t, you don’t."
Donnarumma will try to pick his moments on Thursday night, but whatever happens, he knows he will remain an idol for thousands of Neapolitan kids.
"I know this very well because I often go home," he said. "When I see the young kids, I understand I have to be an example. I will always try to be that for them and be available. My advice is to have fun always, play football with a smile on your face, it’s a game, kids need to have fun and play happily.
"I’m very tied to Napoli, so many friends and my family are there. I’m very excited for tomorrow’s match. I would have been more excited if it was in Napoli. My whole family is here. My mum is having a few issues [with who to support], I’m hoping she’s going to be on my side, but I’m happy to play against Napoli and such a big team."
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