The last three months of Michael Folorunsho’s life almost seem to be the epilogue of a coming-of-age story, one where the protagonist finally reaches the heights they’ve always dreamed of after a long journey. In March, he received his first call-up and travelled with the team to the USA. On 20 May, Verona, for whom he starred last season, secured survival. Then, on 6 June, three days after making his Italy debut against Bosnia and Herzegovina, he was officially named in the Azzurri squad for EURO 2024. And that’s not all. Because in Dortmund on Saturday, the midfielder also made his first European Championship appearance, coming on for Nicolò Barella in the closing stages.

“A year ago, I would have considered it impossible for me to be at the European Championship with Italy,” said Folorunsho in today’s press conference. “At the root of everything, there’s hard work. I’ve never stopped dreaming, and this has pushed me to reach this point. However, it’s when you reach certain levels that the hard part comes because you have to stay there. For me, it’s a new point of departure. I know I have teammates who are ahead of me, but I’ll continue to work day after day to improve.”

If Spalletti decides to throw him into the mix against Spain tomorrow, he certainly won’t hold back: “We’re preparing for the match really well. We’re working hard, putting everything into it to make sure we’re ready. If I play, you’ll have to ask the Coach why he made that decision. For me, it’s an honour to be here, and I’ll be ready. I’d be willing to play in any role, even in goal! The position I play in isn’t a problem. The important thing is to help the team.”

His journey has been a long one, starting from the suburbs of Rome, where he made a name for himself while wearing the jerseys of Vigor Perconti, Tor Sapienza and Savio. He then became part of the Lazio youth sector before joining Virtus Francavilla in Serie C. He spent two seasons there, scoring eight goals in 61 appearances and catching the attention of Napoli, who signed him before sending him out on loan. Indeed, Michael had spells at Bari, Reggina and Pordenone, after which he played for Reggina and Bari again. Last summer was a turning point: Baroni, who had already coached him in Reggio Calabria, wanted him at Verona. From one end of the country to the other, his tour of Italy continued. And he certainly impressed in 2023/24, making full use of his technical quality and speed. He ended up scoring five goals in 34 appearances, numbers that only partly describe his importance to the team.

“Every player has to go down their own path. I wouldn’t ever choose to change mine and am proud of what I’ve done. I’ve continued to work hard and am ready for these matches, which I previously thought were too big for me. There are many who arrive quicker, and there are those who arrive later.” He dedicated his call-up to his family (“who have always supported me”) and hopes to put a smile on millions of fans’ faces: “It’s wonderful to see so many Italians throughout the world ready to support and embrace us. We want to make them proud.”