Tammy Abraham has revealed what he first thought about a transfer to Roma and how he is still "starstruck" by his "uncle of Rome" Jose Mourinho.
After six years on Chelsea's books, Abraham left the club to join Roma in a £34 million ($45m) deal last summer, committing to a five-year contract.
The 24-year-old has thrived in his debut season in Italy, but has now admitted that he wasn't initially attracted to the opportunity at Stadio Olimpico.
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Abraham says he ended up changing his mind because of the trust Roma placed in his abilities, telling CBS Sports: “At first, when they initially contacted me, I thought to myself: ‘This isn’t for me’.
“But then, when people explain to your their ambitions, and show that they have faith you and make you feel valuable, that’s when you want to give them everything you can.
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“As soon as I arrived here, I fell in love with this place.”
Abraham on Mourinho
Roma boss Mourinho also played a key role in convincing Abraham to take up a new challenge in the Italian capital.
The Portuguese, who worked with Abraham briefly during his second stint in charge of Chelsea between 2013 and 2015, made it a priority to bring in the forward after taking the top job at Stadio Olimpico.
Abraham has rewarded his manager by scoring 23 goals in 40 games, including a brace in Roma's derby win over Lazio on Sunday.
“I still look up to him as an idol," the England international said when quizzed on what it's like to play under Mourinho. "And I never told him this, but every time I see him I’m still starstruck even though I see him every day.
“When he was at Chelsea, I was there, but I was still a young kid. I trained with him a couple of times so I knew what he was like a little bit and since coming here, I call him my uncle of Rome.”