Dejan Stankovic was the guest on Inter Channel’s Prima Serata, in a special episode on Monday evening. Everyone is keen to see him back in action, the fans – who left several messages for him via the show – as well as the coach and the club who see him playing a key role.

The Serbian midfielder was not about to put a time frame on his return to full fitness though, preferring to stress the importance of coming back 100%: “I don’t know when I’ll be fit again, the second operation put things back slightly but it had to be done. Now let’s try and take things one step at a time. When I come back I want to make sure it’s for a sustained period. I can’t wait to get back out there. It’s hard looking on from the sidelines, being so far away from the action is not easy to take.”

The fans are also curious as to what position Deki will be playing once he’s back available for selection: “First I need to get fit, then feel good, earn my place, and only then can we talk about where I’ll play. Knowing the coach I would think just in front of the defence but – as I’ve said – there’s a long way to go yet,” smiled Stankovic before he was asked about his future. This was his response: “I’m just thinking about playing, I’ve still got a lot of hunger. Either way I see my future in football. Will I stay at the club when I retire? I’ve said it hundreds of times before, I feel part of a family here, I’d love to stay at the club. Even if I don’t end up staying, I’ll always be available for Inter.”

And what if his great friend Sinisa Mihajlovic were to call him? “I’d be up for it but we’d need to see if I could work with Sinisa, he’s a tough nut! Seriously though, all I’m thinking about for now is getting fit again.”

Dejan Stankovic touched on several topics over the course of his interview on Inter Channel’s Prima Serata. And here in the midst of various anecdotes we hear about his family, beginning with his three sons who play for the academy: “How do I behave when I watch them play? I keep quiet, they’re only young, they need to enjoy it. What I do like though is their determination, when they don’t play well they’re very disappointed. Now I’m not playing I’m essentially a full-time dad, and that’s the only positive thing about this injury – I can spend time with my wife Anna and our kids.”

It was soon back to football though, and Stankovic was asked to recall his best season as a professional and his preferred position. And his best goal for the Nerazzurri: “The penultimate year with Mancini and the first with Mourinho have to be my best seasons. When it comes to my best position, it really depends on which stage of my career we’re looking at: when I was younger, I was best out wide, covering a lot of ground, then behind the strikers. With Jose I played in front of the back four, because over time you lose a bit of pace but have more experience, whereas before the opposite was true. My best goal? Every goal I scored against AC Milan! No, the one against Chievo from outside the box and then the ones from halfway.”

The fans love Deki and he’s equally fond of them: “It’s fantastic to feel such strong support, it fills me with pride and it’s a great responsibility. You get goosebumps when you hear the fans sing your name. This is what’s getting me through my recovery, the love of the fans and the support from the club. Without that I would have already given up.”

Deki also mentioned the support he’s had from his team-mates and mentioned a few in particular: “Obi is a great player and a lovely guy. I can say the same about Ranocchia, I call him the stick man because he’s so thin. He’s such a brilliant lad, a real diamond. When he played for Bari I saw that he had character and here he’s getting better by the day. Palacio? He never stops, he always gives you that option, and he makes runs and wants the ball. I can’t wait to get back playing with him and Diego Milito.”

“If we win the Scudetto, I’ll sing!” This was what Dejan Stankovic promised as he – like his team-mates before him – was asked on Inter Channel’s Prima Serata what he’d do should Inter claim the title.

“First of all we need to keep our feet on the ground, this is just the start. We had a few issues before but now we’re seeing the best of the lads. We must congratulate the coach, it’s great to see how the team is developing and it’s the right tonic for everything. I’m confident but I don’t want to be too bold: I think we can have a very successful season.”

The interview continued with some questions from the fans, including what it feels like to play for Inter: “It means you’re different from the rest, it’s an honour to wear this shirt and represent this club.” He then had praise for the Nerazzurri youngsters: “The club is working very well with the youth academy, I take my hat off to them.”

From the youngsters to a certain Javier Zanetti: “Unbelievable, I think I’ll retire before he does!”

Stankovic then spoke about his relationship with his team-mates explaining that he gets on with everyone: “I’ve never had any problems. Who do I spend my time with away from football? Chivu and Wesley, we’re more than just team-mates. But, as I’ve said, I get on with everyone.”

Deki then watches a slideshow of three coaches in the studio: Sven Goran Eriksson, Roberto Mancini and Jose Mourinho. Deki smiled: “Eriksson is a gent, a true gent. Mancio… I can’t sum him up in one word, let’s say he’s determined, hungry, he loves to win. Jose is the Special One, the number one. I improved under all of them, as well as under Zaccheroni. I owe half of my career to Mancio, while my game improved under Jose. He brought something out in me that I didn’t even know I had, an unbelievable determination. Even when I wasn’t fit.”

Finally a word on Inter’s big week: “It’s a key week to maintain our good run and put a marker down for our opponents.”

Source: inter.it