Paris Saint-Germain's Euro 2020-winning Italy midfielder Marco Verratti has said he is aiming to finish his career at the capital club, where he has spent the better part of the last decade dominating Ligue 1 Uber Eats.
Verratti arrived at the Parc des Princes back in 2012 without a Serie A game under his belt - despite having just helped Pescara win promotion to Italy's top flight as Serie B champions - and the diminutive central midfielder has been there ever since, thrilling his coaches with his classy passing and ball-winning while also giving them grey hairs with his audacious dribbling in dangerous positions.
At the end of the current campaign, it will have been a decade since the 'Little Owl' landed in the French capital, and the 28-year-old couldn't have hoped for better than the seven Ligue 1 Uber Eats titles, six Couples de France, six Coupes de la Ligue and eight Trophées des Champions - as well as a UEFA Champions League final - that have ensued.
WATCH: A rare strike from Verratti
"I've been lucky enough to play with and against great champions, in great games," he told France Info on Sunday. "That's what I wanted above all else. I fell in love with this club and that's why I always try to give my best, to repay the confidence that was shown in me."
'I will always stay here'
While the world of football transfers is an unpredictable one - very few people would have thought that Lionel Messi would end up turning out alongside Verratti at Paris Saint-Germain - Verratti was very clear about his intentions concerning the rest of his career.
"What I know," he declared, "is that I will always stay here."
After making his season debut in Paris Saint-Germain's stunning 2-0 UEFA Champions League win over Manchester City, Verratti will be out to bring his influential style to bear as the capital club look to move on from their 2-0 Round 9 Ligue 1 Uber Eats loss to Rennes when Angers come calling on Friday night.
