Michael Kayode made a memorable senior international debut for Italy, scoring once and setting up another goal in a 3-0 Nations League win over Turkey in Bursa.
The Brentford right-back started in place of Giovanni Di Lorenzo and was directly involved in two of Italy's three goals.
Two Goal Contributions on Debut
Kayode helped create Italy's second goal in the 22nd minute, when his shot was parried by the Turkish goalkeeper and Davide Frattesi tapped in the rebound.
Five minutes later, the 22-year-old finished off a team move involving Giacomo Raspadori and Pio Esposito to score his first international goal.
The call-up from head coach Roberto Mancini followed Kayode's strong domestic form in the Premier League.
He had previously represented Italy from Under-18 to Under-21 level, despite remaining eligible for Nigeria through his parents.
Choosing Italy and Bouncing Back
Kayode said he learned of his call-up after a match against Chelsea, checking his phone following the game.
"I was only thinking about performing well on the pitch and giving my best, and Mancini's call was the result of that," he said.
On his international future, Kayode said choosing Italy was an easy decision despite contact from Nigeria.
"For me, choosing to wear the blue jersey was very easy, I never thought about changing national teams.
Nigeria contacted me, but for anyone, playing for Italy is an honor," he said.
His path to the national team included being released from the Juventus youth academy at 14 before restarting in lower-league football with Gozzano.
"Going from Juventus to Gozzano is obviously very different, but that experience gave me the strength to reach this level," he said.
He later moved to Fiorentina, where he made his top-flight breakthrough before joining Brentford.
Kayode credited Fiorentina for opening the door to the Premier League and stressed the importance of regular playing time for young players.
His performance puts him in contention on Italy's right flank alongside Marco Palestra, who missed the current window through injury.
