Young Inter Milan owned Mattia Zanotti feels that what Federico Dimarco has done at the Nerazzurri “motivates” him.

Zanotti spoke to Italian news outlet FCInterNews. The 21-year-old praised Dimarco as a kind of role model, and also named some Nerazzurri players who he learned a lot from.

In some ways, Dimarco represents the ideal outcome for any player from Inter’s youth academy.

The 26-year-old has become an integral part of the Nerazzurri first team.

Dimarco is the first-choice starter at left-wingback for Inter. That has been the case for a couple of years now.

It wasn’t always the case, however. And it wasn’t easy for Dimarco, who didn’t exactly follow a straightforward or linear path.

Rather, the Italian international is a player who has grown season upon season.

Dimarco has gone out on loan many times in his career. He has cut his teeth and further proven himself with each club that he’s played for.

Like Zanotti – who is currently out on loan at St. Gallen – Dimarco had a spell out on loan in Switzerland.

Inter Wingback Zanotti: “Motivated” By Dimarco

Zanotti said of DImarco that “The example he’s set certainly motivates me.”

“You always want to do better,” the 21-year-old continued. “Always give your all in training, get the most out of every day.”

“I don’t set any particular level for myself to reach,” Zanotti said.

“But I always work at 100% to get as far as possible. Then, whatever happens, happens.”

As far as his experiences training with the first team, Zanotti said that “The players I asked the most questions and tried to take the most from were the wingbacks.”

“Darmian, Dimarco, Bellanova, Dumfries,” he named.

“I tried to look at the characteristics that they have, and learn as much as possible from each of them.”

And as far as his appearances with the Inter senior team, Zanotti noted that “I made my debut against Cagliari in 2021.”

“That was absolutely massive,” the Inter-owned wingback admitted.

“It was the third or fourth time that I’d been called up and on the bench. And then I actually came on as a substitute.”

“You never expect something like that,” he added.

“That’s a feeling that I’ll always carry with me. When I stop playing, it will be the first thing I remember of being a footballer.”