sport news Tammy Abraham on his revival under Jose Mourinho at Roma and why England can ... trends now
Tammy Abraham's move to Roma last year might have looked a risk and many felt it was better for him to stay in the Premier League.
How wrong they were. Not only has he shone on the pitch, winning a European trophy and scoring 27 goals, he has taken to the lifestyle off the pitch seamlessly.
Now speaking Italian, adored by the fans, and happy in the Italian capital, he's become a certainty to be in Gareth Southgate's World Cup squad for Qatar. DANNY MURPHY caught up with him after his latest call-up.
Tammy Abraham has proved it was the right decision to swap Chelsea for Roma last year
MURPHY: Buongiorno, Tam. Your first season with Roma couldn't have gone better with 27 goals. It must give you confidence. Does it also change your outlook given the standards you've set?
ABRAHAM: There is something in me saying I want to do even better. As a character, that's how I thrive. I look at Erling Haaland who is the most talked-about player in the world right now. I use it as a secret motivation, to try to reach that level, hit those targets. Other players' success, that is what gets me going.
MURPHY: You've gone from being in and out at Chelsea to playing every week, the main man. It's a change in status.
ABRAHAM: If you'd told me a couple of years ago I'd be playing in Italy, I wouldn't have believed you. Leaving Chelsea was difficult, it's where I'd grown up from the age of seven.
I didn't know much about Italian football but it has helped me develop as a player and as a man. I've come out of my comfort zone and don't have any regrets. I love the life and it's brought out another side to my game.
At Chelsea, I was viewed purely as a goalscorer. Here, I've learned different aspects of the game. If our opponents have more of the ball, I know how to position myself defensively. You have to be more clinical finishing chances because they can be limited.
Abraham had been at Chelsea since the age of seven and admits it was hard to leave the club
MURPHY: We glorify the Premier League as the best. How does it compare to Serie A?
ABRAHAM: They both have qualities that the other one doesn't. Italian football is very tactical. Teams want to stop you from scoring as much as possible. I think they mainly focus on stopping goals which does make it harder for a striker of course.
One thing I had to learn quickly was how to win free-kicks. Holding the ball up when your team might need a breather, getting the cheap fouls as we would call them in England. Little things like that, I've added.
MURPHY: I've met your manager Jose Mourinho on a couple of occasions at events like Soccer Aid. I found him different to his image, he was quite jovial. You see the professional side of course.
ABRAHAM: He is one of the best for man-management. He knows how to speak to players, the best way to deal with each one. In my case, he never tells me how well I am doing. At half-time, I never get a 'Well done' even though in the back of my mind I am thinking, 'You know I'm playing well'. He always wants you to do better.
The striker plays under Jose Mourinho, who he says is 'one of the best for man-management'
Before the Europa Conference semi-final against Leicester last season, he dragged me into a room and said: "Tam, I don't think you have been good enough".
I was surprised because I had scored in the previous game! I asked what he meant and he said he wasn't seeing the Tammy he saw play against Lazio for example. It was motivating and I did end up scoring the winner against Leicester.
MURPHY: I'm always impressed by how well Italian players dress. Do you think some of your England mates might struggle with that?
ABRAHAM: The standard is high, I think people wake up an hour early just to make the effort. For me, it's wake up, slap on a tracksuit, and go. You're asking to me dig out some England players! To be fair, they're all right. Maybe coming off the back of my time at Chelsea, Ben Chilwell and Mason Mount might struggle just a bit. Their fashion might not be understood as much.
MURPHY: Jack Grealish would be all right with his Gucci gear! You're part of a generation of young English players overseas; Fikayo Tomori and Jude Bellingham are also in this England squad, Jadon Sancho went to Dortmund young, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Harry Winks, Dele Alli are all abroad now.
Abraham reveals that Jadon Sancho's time at Dortmund gave him confidence to move abroad
ABRAHAM: People might have been scared of change. Everyone likes to be in a comfortable place but sometimes you can have regrets if you don't try it. Whatever happens with the rest of my career, I can look back and be proud of playing and living in Italy, experiencing a different life.
Sancho is a great example. At the time he went to Dortmund, I thought: 'Why?' But he did brilliantly and it's given others the confidence to do it. Jude Bellingham followed him to Dortmund, me and Tomori are in Italy. We're playing well, banging on the door. I believe Sancho opened many people's eyes.
MURPHY: And people in this country can access the European leagues you're playing in. A few years ago, it was Barcelona or Real Madrid only apart from maybe one show a week.
ABRAHAM: Before I went on loan to Aston Villa, I had a couple of clubs interested in France but I wasn't sure at that time, I thought I'd be easily forgotten out there even if I was playing well. Now I would tell English players, think about experiencing it.
MURPHY: England's last camp in June wasn't great. Two draws and two defeats against Hungary, the last one 4-0 at home. Gareth Southgate
