'It bothers me!' - Sandro Tonali hails Jordan Pickford for pulling off 'great' save to deny 'one of the best shots of my life' in Newcastle's narrow loss to Everton

The former AC Milan man thought he had rescued a point with a late strike as his side looked for an equaliser in the late stages of the clash at St James' Park, only to see the England number one produce a world-class intervention.

Reflecting on the encounter and the specific save that denied him, Tonali admitted to Sky Sport Insider that the quality of the stop still lingers in his mind. "Yes the save was beautiful! It bothers me a bit but in the end when a player does something beautiful you have to tell him. You don't have to go around it. I told him immediately my compliments after the game: he did something that rarely happens. Perhaps I had made one of the best shots of my life, it was certainly the best save against me. The beautiful thing is that here in every game you have a player who impresses you. It is the real great plus of the Premier League," the midfielder explained.

According to Tonali, the moment perfectly encapsulates the relentless and elite nature of the Premier League. He explained that every single opponent in the division possesses players capable of producing moments of magic, meaning no team can ever be underestimated. "Every team you play against, even if you don't know all the players, you discover that they have their own quality," he added. "No one should be underestimated. Then, when you play against the big teams and you find yourself facing a player like Haaland or last year's De Bruyne in their prime , players who can change the game in a minute, you admire them and understand even more how difficult it is to play against them."

Not only is the Premier League proving intense, the Magpies are still battling in the Champions League and FA Cup, setting up a busy March for Eddie Howe's team.

"This year we've had a few ups and downs. But in February we started winning away from home and several games in a row," he said. "Then with the Champions League the atmosphere changed. It went much better: I think that getting through to the next round has given us some more confidence. March will be a busy month , between the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the Champions League."

Beyond his club commitments, Tonali is heavily focused on the Italian national team's crucial fixtures at the end of March. They take on Northern Ireland in what may be the first of two play-off games as they look to avoid a repeat of their 2018 and 2022 World Cup qualifying disasters. Tonali is embracing the tension, however, stating that arriving at these pivotal matches in peak physical and mental condition is the true beauty of international football.

"It will be one of the most important matches for us, we have to play perfectly. There's pressure, but I take the positive aspect and that's the beauty of football: we have to get to that moment at 100% and play as we know how," he added.

The appointment of Gennaro Gattuso as Italy manager has been a major positive for Tonali, who grew up idolising the former AC Milan enforcer. "We had dinner in London, we had a great time because we hadn't seen each other since November: it's always nice to get together for a moment outside of football," he said of the Azzurri boss. "We had fun, we talked about many things. It was a different moment than usual.

"I think he was the person who was able to instill a lot in me, even when I didn't know him. When he played, for example, I took from him what I liked. Getting to know him allowed me to connect with a genuine person, who, if he needs to tell you something, takes half a second. And that's very good for us: we need people who tell us things to our faces and who can hit us in the face when things aren't going well. We've met a coach who has given us so much, who is giving us so much, and who will give us so much more. Not only that, he and his staff will give their all to achieve that goal."

Off the pitch, Tonali has gradually adapted to the cultural differences of English football, echoing sentiments shared by Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori. The Newcastle star noted that there is significantly more privacy and much less off-field socialising among teammates compared to Italy. He explained that apart from exceptional moments, like celebrating their recent Carabao Cup triumph, players generally prefer to spend their free time with their families.

This private downtime has become especially important for Tonali following the recent birth of his first child. He openly admitted that the first month of fatherhood was incredibly challenging due to severe sleep deprivation. 

"In general, there's much more privacy outside the training ground ," Tonali explained. " After a while, you get used to it, because you understand that's how it works here. We also had another opportunity with Newcastle: it was after the Carabao Cup, but we had won the trophy and everything was different. Without any special events, it's normal to spend little free time together.

"The first month [of fatherhood] was very difficult, because everything is different: you never sleep at night, for example. My wife and I agreed to sleep in rooms prepared the night before the game: since we play so much, I find myself alone three times a week. But we are very happy: every time we see our son, we experience an enormous number of emotions. It's a beautiful thing."