Miralem Pjanic

My dad was a midfielder, like I am, and he was good, too. When I saw him playing as I got older, I could see he really knew how to play. He didn't have all the chances to grow and have a great career that I got, but he did what he could.

It was my dad who got me into football. One day, he surprised me playing in the garage. He thought I was a thief. I always played football when I was a kid.

When I arrived at Roma, someone defined me as Giotto, 'The Painter,' but the nickname I prefer is the one I got from Captain Francesco Totti, 'The Little Prince.'

In 2008, I moved to Lyon, one of France's top clubs. I had some very strong team mates, and I proved to be at their level. I began training very hard and always respecting my coach's advice.

My dream was to become a footballer. I started loving football so much that I followed my dad wherever he went and spent all my time playing football with friends out in the fields. But my parents also taught me the important values and principles in life of respect and to raise me in that way.

I have always lived abroad, but inside my family, we always speak in Bosnian and preserve all the Bosnian traditions. So it's always inside me, always in my heart.

I like to watch teams who play well, ball on the floor, ball to feet, playing well as a collective.

When I could choose which national team to play for, I could choose between Luxembourg, France, and Bosnia, and I chose Bosnia because I felt it was important to demonstrate, especially to the young people, that a dream can become true.

I think I was called 'the pianist' because of the way I play. It's true that I don't score many goals, just a few, but they are beautiful when I do score! I think it's more about my style of play, how I touch the ball, how I pass the ball, how I move it.

When you play well, and you don't win, in the end, you get tired. You've lost something. You've lost time.

When I was six, I joined FC Schifflange 95, a first-division team in Luxembourg. They knew I had talent, but I knew only hard work gets you anywhere, and I went away from my family at 13 for the first time.

In the world of football, it is normal that rumours come from the media. It is something that I'm used to.