Antonio Soda, who handed Michael Kayode his senior debut at 16, says he knew within minutes that the future Brentford defender was different.
Antonio Soda needed only a few minutes of watching Michael Kayode to decide the 16-year-old belonged in senior football.
Kayode was still playing in Gozzano's youth setup when Soda, then manager of the Serie D side, was made aware of him. There was no long introduction to first-team training or gradual wait for an opportunity. Soda liked what he saw from the youngster and moved him up almost immediately.
"He was another level," Soda told La Gazzetta dello Sport when recalling his first impression of the Brentford defender.
Kayode's first senior appearance came away at Casale and gave Soda little reason to reconsider. The teenager won a penalty at one end and later cleared an effort off the line at the other, beginning a season in which he helped Gozzano win the league and earn promotion to Serie C with the youngest squad in their division.
Five years on, another debut has brought another memorable contribution.
Kayode scored for Italy in the 4-1 win over Turkey on Sunday after Roberto Mancini handed him his first senior international start. He had already been involved in Italy's second goal before finding the net himself in the 27th minute, adding another step to a career which has moved quickly since those first games under Soda.
The former Gozzano coach has been following it closely. Kayode thanked Soda after joining up with the senior Italy squad, something the 62-year-old admitted had affected him given how long it had been since they worked together. Soda said he had simply recognised a young player who was ready and given him the chance, rather than holding him back.
Kayode played both higher and deeper on the right at Gozzano, with his pace and physical strength standing out before he had developed into the right-back Brentford knows now. Mancini also pushed him further forward against Turkey.
Soda can see changes in his game since those days. He believes Kayode's technical level has improved considerably, although he still sees room for the 22-year-old to become more selective with his forward runs.
Kayode has always wanted to attack whenever the opportunity appears. Soda believes experience should help him recognise the occasions when "you need to slow down" rather than constantly looking to push forward.
Soda's point about choosing his moments to go forward fits the player he first coached at 16. Kayode was already being used in different roles down the right at Gozzano because he attacked space so naturally, and that instinct has never really left his game.
It was there again for Italy. Kayode had already forced a save in the build-up to Davide Frattesi's goal before getting forward to score himself five minutes later. For Soda, the difference now is not whether Kayode should attack, but how well he judges when to do it.
Soda was also asked about Fiorentina allowing Kayode to leave. He acknowledged the circumstances around the decision, with Dodo already occupying the same position and Fiorentina receiving around €18 million from the deal, but his own answer was straightforward.
"I wouldn't have sold him," he said, before admitting his long-standing affection for his former player probably influenced that view.
Kayode's move has worked rather differently from Brentford's side. What began as a January loan has become a long-term fixture in their squad, and his first senior Italy appearance has arrived less than six years after Soda pulled him out of Gozzano's youth setup.
The player Soda thought was ready for senior football at 16 is now trying to establish himself with Italy. His debut brought a goal and praise from Roberto Mancini, with further international fixtures still to come before he returns to West London.
