Work first for Italian dynamo

FORMER Italy attacker Alessandro Diamanti revealed that he has been inundated with offers of “pizza and pasta on the house” since signing for Western United.

Coach Mark Rudan quipped that pizza was off the menu after declaring that the former West Ham and Bologna star had arrived in superb nick.

Capped 17 times by his country, Diamanti is the highest-profile Italian signing since Alessandro Del Piero and slotted straight into full-scale training on Wednesday in his first session.

Diamanti said he was not here for sightseeing or restaurant-hopping.

“My social network when I signed, I have many invites to Italian restaurants — large dinner, if you want pizza, pasta,’’ Diamanti said. “I am not here for ‘Australia is a good country’, no. I am a professional man, a serious man.

“I want to play football because I feel good. For me it’s not a holiday, it’s work. After beautiful Melbourne, beautiful Australia. I want to win, I want to train hard, I want to play football with passion and explain to my younger players many things.

“I’ve had other offers in Italy, but at 36 it’s a chance to experience a new league in a new country.

“My English I need to improve. But in one month [it will be better].”

Rudan was thrilled with his newest acquisition.

“He does what he wants when we have possession of the ball. I’ll be a fan watching on the sidelines,’’ Rudan said.

“We’ve been on the search for a proper out and out No.10 [attacking midfielder]; they are the hardest players to find in the world.”