Torino defender Perr Schuurs sat down with Serie A ahead of Matchday 31 to speak about joining the Granata, Manager Ivan Juric, and his leadership qualities.
Joining Torino
Dutch defender Schuurs joined Torino from Ajax last summer. He wanted to develop his skills and feels he’s in the right place.
“I chose Torino because the feeling was really good, it felt like I was welcomed in my first meeting. Torino is a nice club, also the fans, and the playing system. But first of all the coach, he can make a difference and help me improve a lot, for me, it was the reason. The coach, you know in Italy defenders become better players and for me, one of the most important things to improve is my defence skills. The first weeks and months I had to adapt to the system because it was different. He helped me a lot and I feel like I’m getting better. For me, if a coach takes care of the players, it’s important for the team. My relationship with the coach is really good and when I need something I can tell him and I know he’ll listen.”
Leadership Qualities
Though just 23 and in his first season in Serie A, the centre-back has real presence: he aims to lead by example.
“When I was young, I wasn’t a real leader, you know, I was always quiet doing my job and working hard. When I became a captain, I was young, and I improved a lot in this with my confidence with other players, now I feel like a leader but a little different from somebody who is angry with the team, who is always speaking. I’m more like a leader who fights and works hard every day, who does something extra, like for example the gym. For me, it’s important to work hard and show what you want.”