Inter will have a special supporter in Sebastiano Esposito cheering them on for tonight’s crucial match with Sassuolo.

Antonio Conte’s side are hoping to pull out an 11-point lead over AC Milan at the top of Serie A with victory over Roberto De Zerbi’s team.

Esposito joined Venezia from Inter on a six-month loan in January but the 18-year-old remains attached as ever to his boyhood club.

“I’m Interista and I always have been,” the striker told Italian journalist Nicolo Schira, as quoted by FcInterNews.it.

“After training with Venezia in the afternoon I’ll be watching Inter’s match against Sassuolo.

“I’m always in contact with my ex-teammates, in particular Danilo D’Ambrosio and Romelu Lukaku who are a bit like my footballing fathers.

“I hope to return to Inter, but it’ll be difficult in the short term; we’ll see.”

Esposito revealed he has a close relationship with Inter’s Curva Nord and thanked them for always making him feel loved at San Siro.

“I have a great consideration of the Curva Nord,” he added.

“They’ve always been very fond of me and I’ve got to know some excellent people.

“They’ve treated me really well and made me feel special; I remember they were already chanting my name against Borussia Dortmund, which was my second competitive match for Inter.”

Esposito also pointed out that Bundesliga clubs are a lucky charm for him, when asked about his various debuts with Inter’s first team.

“I made my debut in the UEFA Europa League against Eintracht Frankfurt and in the UEFA Champions League against Borussia Dortmund,” he recalled.

“In both cases I was still underage and they were big matches.

“The German teams bring me good fortune…”

Esposito also touched upon the strange experience of playing football in empty stadiums, which has become the norm since football returned last summer.

“It’s really horrible watching the games in the Champions League without fans,” he admitted.

“We’ve got used to playing without fans now though, even us players have become accustomed.

“The first time was a game with Inter at Parma and it felt like a friendly without people in the stands.

“San Siro seems even bigger when it’s empty.”

Esposito has made 27 appearances between SPAL (where he spent the first half of this season on loan) and Venezia, scoring two goals and providing two assists in Serie B.