Santiago Castro has said his final goodbyes to Lionel Messi and is now returning to Gasperini’s side. The Giallorossi striker departed Argentina yesterday to head back to the capital ahead of the fixture against Como. Before leaving, he opened up to TNT Sports about his emotions during the selection, starting with his conversation with Messi.

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On Messi’s final appearance, Castro said: “Messi told us we had to enjoy his last match, but the goal was to win out of respect for the fans there, because there are no friendlies. That’s the essence of the national team.”

Talking about the days spent alongside Messi, Castro noted: “I’ll never fully realize it. I have a couple of photos that I looked at all night, and I’ll continue to do so in the coming days. I enjoyed my time with Messi and I’m very happy. He’s one of the group like everyone else, and he wants us to treat him like anyone else. Once you get to know him, you understand what kind of person he is.”

Castro also highlighted the significance of representing the national side: “Coming here is the best. I always want to be there and contribute, but to do so, I have to work hard with Roma. Representing Argentina is a source of pride.”

Finally, he addressed the guidance from Scaloni: “The same things came out in the press conference. Now another transition period awaits us, and we must be ready, take a step forward, and follow the example of the more experienced players in the squad. The veterans have helped us younger players.”