Rome always has been a special club with a particularly close rapport between the team and its fans. It is no coincidence that their captains have almost always been natives of the capital city and men who know what it was like to cheer on their heroes from the stands. Giuseppe Giannini was a Giallorossi fan through and through, sacrificing his international career for the love of his home club, while Francesco Totti is putting them on the European map. The next stage of their journey is already emblazoned with the name Daniele De Rossi.

"De Rossi is the future of this club and the Italy side," assures Coach Fabio Capello. "We refused to hand him over to Chievo this summer as part of the bid for Nicola Legrottaglie and it was the best decision we ever made." Born in July 1983, there was never a time when the red and yellow colours were not coursing through his veins. His father Alberto was a player and became Daniele’s first Coach in the Roma youth system, where he also signed his first professional contract a year ago for just £80,000 per season.

Incredibly for a young man who is already making headline news with his performances in Under-21 tournaments, Serie A and the UEFA Cup, De Rossi is still on that salary and living in nearby Ostia with his parents. "I want to stay at Roma for life," announced the 20-year-old. "This is my home and the club I have always loved. I couldn’t ask for more."

It is amazing to think that De Rossi only made his full Serie A debut on May 3, 2003. Eyebrows were raised around the country when he scored a 30-yard screamer on his first start at the Olimpico against Torino a week later, but now there are few pundits who wouldn’t place De Rossi in the Euro 2004 squad given the chance. "He is certainly capable of playing in both summer tournaments," insists Under-21 Coach Claudio Gentile. "I am astonished by his maturity, both on and off the field. Before De Rossi even gets the ball he already knows instinctively where to place it and which is the correct pass. He has the mentality of a 30-year-old and that confidence reassures all his teammates. This boy is a born leader."

These all sound very familiar to the long-suffering fans of Roma. A certain Francesco Totti burst on to the scene aged 16 and worked his way up through the Under-21 squad to leading the Azzurri. The relative lack of strong midfielders in Italy could see De Rossi sprint up that career ladder even faster than his captain.

"If someone had told me a few months ago that I’d have the opportunity to play in Euro 2004, I’d have thought they were talking about a PlayStation game," smiled the new kid on the block, not realising it could become reality "It is a great honour to be a part of the Under-21 side, but if I was called to the senior squad then I would certainly agree to play both tournaments. After all, I can always take my holiday time at Christmas instead."

De Rossi started out life as a striker in tiny club side Ostiamare and that shows through in his exquisite technique. Able to defend and protect the back line, he has truly impressed when pushing forward and two assists proved decisive in the recent 2-0 win over Parma. "I don’t try to set goals for myself, because if they don’t happen then you feel let down. I just take everyday as it comes and do my very best."

Young Roma starlets are often associated with arrogance, but there seems to be little of the Antonio Cassano attitude in De Rossi’s demeanour. "I have so much more to learn and improve, above all by watching my teammate Emerson in training. If you feel that you are the complete player at the age of 20, then you may as well retire when you hit 21."

Yet the highlight of his career so far remains the cheeky chip in his UEFA Cup debut against Vardar Skopje, the very image of the one Cassano netted in his first senior Italy cap. "It was a wonderful emotion to see the Stadio Olimpico go wild and cheer my name," admits the boy who used to stand among those supporters. "I don’t really score that many goals, as my main job is to help the team."

That astounding work rate mixed with quality makes him the ideal understudy to Cristiano Zanetti and Simone Perrotta in Giovanni Trapattoni’s side. In the next few months he could even surpass them, in the same way he has pushed Olivier Dacourt out of the Roma line-up. Step aside, the future is coming through in Giallorossi colours.