Italy talent Michael Kayode says Roberto Mancini showed ‘enormous faith’ in him and admits he doesn’t have a favourite club in Serie A, although watching ‘Juve, Milan, Inter and Roma was spectacular.’
Kayode made his senior Italy debut during the latest international break, scoring in his first appearance against Turkiye.
“Honestly, I would have been happy just to come on in the final minute to make my international debut,” he told Sky Sport Italia.
“Instead, the coach showed enormous faith in me by giving me a place in the starting line-up against Turkiye. Then things went better than even I could have imagined. It was a match I’ll never forget. Representing your country is the most wonderful thing of all.”
Kayode has been playing for Premier League side Brentford since January 2025, when he completed an initial loan move from Fiorentina.
Brentford made his move permanent for €18m the following summer.
Kayode has scored one goal in eight appearances across all competitions with Brentford this season, helping his club climb to 6th place in the Premier League table, just three points behind Chelsea in fourth.
“I think it’s a fantastic start,” the Italian defender admitted.
“We’ve worked incredibly hard since the beginning of the season to reach this level, and we’re really happy with what we’re doing. We’re not setting any expectations: we’re taking it one game at a time.
“I was lucky enough to work with Thomas Frank for six months when I first arrived, and [Keith] Andrews was part of his staff as the coach responsible for set pieces and routines. So we all knew him really well,” Kayode continued.
“When he was promoted to manager, we were all delighted, and it made the transition very straightforward for everyone at the club. Obviously, we weren’t expecting to have such a fantastic league campaign last year. It’s a shame we missed out on Europe by one point. But we’ve begun this season brilliantly; we’re establishing ourselves, and I think we can achieve great things.”
Kayode spent part of his childhood in the Juventus academy but was ultimately released by the Bianconeri. As he explained at a press conference attended by Football Italia in September, the club’s decision did little to dampen his determination to pursue a career in football.
“It was tough, of course, really tough. But quitting? No, never,” he added in his latest interview.
“After all, I was 14 when I left: it would have been crazy to quit. But obviously there were sad, difficult moments.
“My parents have always taught me that, whatever happens, whether it’s something terrible or something wonderful, you should always smile and stay positive in life,” he added.
Kayode went on to name the three football legends he would have loved to play with: “Ronaldo, the phenomenon, Maradona and Maldini,” and said Erling Haaland is probably the best player in the Premier League currently.
Kayode also played for Fiorentina, with which he made his Serie A debut in 2024, but does he have a favourite club in Italy?
“I never supported one particular team; I never focused on just one,” he replied.
“But Serie A was at an incredible level, especially when I was little. Watching Juve, Milan, Inter and Roma was spectacular.”