Juventus are gearing up for the new Serie A season at present, and Leo Bonucci insists he has a key role to play for the team.

The veteran defender showed he remains at the top of his game by leading Italy to Euro 2020 glory this summer, alongside club team-mate Giorgio Chiellini, and that partnership will be one to be watched in awe once again this term.

While his partner in defence retains the role of captain for both club and country, Bonucci insists that he is a leader regardless, and he knows exactly his role within the team, and is keen to show exactly that when the campaign returns.

“I laughed about it, because the coach often makes jokes of this type,” Bonucci said on Allegri’s recent comments. “What interests me is to make facts on the pitch because as Allegri often says, the gossip takes away the wind.

“I know what I can give on the pitch and in the locker room for the figure I have, I am one of the leaders and my goal is to think only of the field, the coach knows that he can always count on me, band or not. I already know what he has to do in the locker room and on the pitch.”

Bonucci and Chiellini may have to share the first-team role with Matthijs De Ligt for Juventus, unlike for the national team, but that rotation will allow the duo to keep fit for long spells of the term, while Radu Dragusin could well be in line to pick up minutes also.

Does Bonucci deserve to be vice-captain going into the new season?

Patrick