Fiorentina fullback Michael Kayode: I'm a Juventus reject

Fiorentina fullback Michael Kayode has recalled being rejected by Juventus as a junior.

Kayode has enjoyed an impressive past 18 months with the Viola.

He told La Repubblica: "I wasn't a big football fan as a child, I started with athletics. I liked running: whether it was 100, 200 or 400 metres. I imitated (Usain) Bolt, it would have been nice to become like him.

"I didn't continue because my father has always been a great football lover. We watched the games together and I fell in love too."

Kayode remained at Juve until he was 14, only to not be confirmed.

"They told me that physically I wasn't ready yet. I wasn't as set up as I am now, but I wasn't that bad either honestly."

Now Kayode is a first-choice at Fiorentina and dreams big: "We want to go to the Champions League, we have a great team. And maybe win a trophy for Florence, like the Conference League."

But the biggest dream concerns the national team: "I would like to be part of (Luciano) Spalletti's group at the next European Championships but, even bigger, to win a World Cup."