Turkish wonderkid struggling to adapt to life abroad
- Matthew Klimberg
“I had no idea what he was saying but it did not matter,” said Under of meeting club legend Francesco Totti. The new executive welcomed the kid on his first day of training. “I can’t even tell you how excited I was. I felt like a fan meeting an idol.”
Despite playing well, consistently making the team squad, and meeting his hero, life in the Eternal City has not been so easy for the, now, 20-year-old. “Moving abroad was a real culture shock,” he says. “There is a lot more involved than I ever imagined,” he told The Guardian.
“I moved abroad on my own and left my family behind, not knowing anyone or being able to communicate with anyone. I couldn’t talk with anyone. I can’t tell you how frustrating that was. I didn’t think about these things beforehand.”
He continued, “It was really tough. I really felt alone for the first time, really alone. It was the first time I experienced real loneliness.”
Fortunately for Under, Roma has done their best to help him adjust to his new life, and supplied him with a translator to help in training and off the pitch. He also spoke of sparking up a positive relationship with manager Eusebio Di Francesco.
Roma, however, have high hopes for him. When finally speaking through a translator with Totti, the legend told him, “I have faith in you, otherwise you wouldn’t be here.”