Luca Pellegrini has explained how playing against Cristiano Ronaldo left a lasting impression on him, with the Lazio full-back having been on the pitch when the Al-Nassr superstar scored his first hat-trick in Serie A during his time at Juventus.
Indeed, Pellegrini lined up against Ronaldo on more than one occasion across his spells with Cagliari and Genoa - with the Portuguese's treble from January 2020, that saw then-Juve manager Maurizio Sarri's side claim an emphatic 4-0 win over Cagliari, standing out.
As Pellegrini sifts through the enviable collection of jerseys he's accumulated during his career so far, the 26-year-old, who is currently on loan at Lazio from Juventus, mentions his tussles with Ronaldo, as well as words of advice he received from Paul Pogba and the moment he got wiped out by Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
He tells GOAL, as part of Raiola's 'behind the baller' series: "Paul Pogba gave me his jersey with a lovely dedication. He gave me loads of advice. Over time, I've realised that great players also possess a strong human side. [Ex-Roma and Inter midfielder Radja Nainggolan] has a wild soul but is a good person at heart.
"Goran Pandev is an idol for me and for many Lazio fans. This section includes a jersey from Gareth Bale and Zlatan Ibrahimovic's jersey is also here. I'll never forget playing against him. He made me fly after attempting to nutmeg him!"
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Clutching Ronaldo's shirt, Pellegrini adds: "This one I remember is from playing against him. Being on the field with Ronaldo even for just a few moments left a significant impact on me."
A regular for a Lazio side chasing European qualification and having impressed during their run to the Europa League quarter-finals in 2024-25, Pellegrini also discusses his idols growing up and how he feels Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have significantly raised the bar over years with their goalscoring prowess.
He continues: "I liked Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho. Those who danced with the ball and brought emotions to the game. Now, football is more about statistics from a certain point of view.
"Players like Messi and Ronaldo have changed the game, setting expectations of scoring one or two goals per match."