De Rossi advises Balotelli ‘to grow up’ ahead of showdown with England

London: Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi has said fellow team-mate Mario Balotelli needs to grow up, referring to the Manchester City forward’s knack of attracting controversies through his eccentric behavior.

“He needs to grow up. We’ve talked a lot about Balotelli. He’s a great player, so if he wants to grow, he has to know how to react to this situation,” De Rossi said. Balotelli was taken off and replaced by Antonio Di Natale against Spain and Croatia, as he tried to walk one chance into the goal and was removed almost immediately. However, he came on to score Italy’s second against Ireland in a 2-0 win in the Spain game. “He’s young. Sometimes, he commits mistakes off the pitch. But it’s his responsibility. He has to play a great game. He has all the quality to do that. He simply has to accept the manager’s decision,” De Rossi added. ANI