Torino defender Ola Aina excited by football culture in Italy

Torino defender Ola Aina is delighted with his new environment and the opportunity to hone his skills in Italy.

Aina joined Walter Mazzarri’s men temporarily for the 2018-19 campaign after extending his contract with Chelsea to 2021 last month.

After spending the majority of his career in England which included a season-long spell with Hull City last term, the 21-year-old highlighted differences between the two countries.

“I really like Turin. It’s not as big as London, but it’s a bit more relaxed and relaxing, a bit like me," Aina was quoted as saying by Football Italia.

“In England, we train a lot in the morning, here it’s more the afternoon. I’m getting used to it though. Everyone is adapting to me, and obviously vice-versa.

“My teammates have made me feel good from the beginning, I thank them because it made it much easier for me to settle in.

“Serie A is very different from the Premier League, the football in England is more physical and fast.

“It’s slower here and there’s more time to think, but you need a very different, more intense, attention to tactics.

“That’s good for me because that’s exactly what I need to improve.

“I chose Torino because of the coach [Walter Mazzarri], I talked to him and I got the feeling he wanted me and wanted to help me grow. I also felt he wanted me to work for him, that I could be important for his cause.

“Then, of course, Torino have a great history and the Italian league is one of the best, so I couldn’t say no."

Torino host Napoli for their next Serie A outing on Sunday and the 21-year-old is optimistic that they can grab their second league win of the season at the expense of Carlo Ancelotti’s charges who have won three of their last four games.

“We have a very difficult game. We know how dangerous they can be, they press a lot and are very good. But the squad we have means we can rely on players being united, I expect a good performance from everyone, including myself,” he added.

“I hope we can leave the pitch with a win for our fans.”