Naples, Vergara opens up: "The last year has changed my life. Now I want to prove myself."

A year ago, his career-changing goal against Chelsea changed his life. Today, Antonio Vergara knows the hardest part is yet to come: confirming his form. The young Napoli midfielder, who emerged under Antonio Conte and subsequently embarked on a development journey that culminated in a contract renewal, opens up in an interview with Sky Sport Insider.

"Perhaps I didn't realize it at the time, but yes, from there, from that goal against Chelsea, my life changed. But the difficulty isn't getting there, it's staying there. And that's the most important thing," explained Vergara, also recovering from an injury that sidelined him at the end of last season.

The 2003-born midfielder from Frattamaggiore is now working to earn a spot under new coach Massimiliano Allegri, who is testing him in a different position than before. "I'm trying a new role and I'm still having a lot of difficulties. There's a lot to improve on, so I don't know if this is my moment yet. We'll see," the midfielder said.

The Italian coach is using him as a midfielder, asking him to improve key technical and tactical aspects: "He's asking me about my body posture, technical cleanliness, and many other aspects of the position. He's making me realize that there are things I thought I already had, but that I still have to learn."

In Napoli's midfield, Vergara has the chance to compete daily with highly experienced players like Frank Anguissa, Scott McTominay, and Kevin De Bruyne. "I try to learn something from everyone. From Frank, I'd take aggression and the time to get out under pressure. From Scott, the runs. From Kevin, on the other hand, the ease with which he can see the play before the others," he said.

Meanwhile, Napoli continues training at their training camp in Castel di Sangro and awaits further results from the friendly against Celta Vigo. "I expect to see Napoli definitely improving. We started off a bit fired up against Arezzo, then improved game after game. We hope to put in another better performance than the last one and continue this path," explained Vergara.

His career also includes a reference to Lorenzo Insigne, another talent who grew up in the Azzurri youth system and became a symbol of the team. "I happened to see a video of him complimenting me, and I was very pleased. I remember that when he was still at Pescara and was about to return to Napoli, I went to his house to get a shirt signed."

The next big goal is the national team. Vergara doesn't hide his dream of wearing the Azzurri jersey, but he knows the first step is on the pitch. "Is the national team a dream and a goal? Absolutely. But to get there, you first have to play, put in strong performances, and maybe even put in some impressive performances. I think that's the best way to convince a great coach like Mancini."