Emmanuel Gyasi has a mantra: "Nothing is impossible with hard work."
And why would he not believe that? He knows for a fact that dreams can come true.
On March 2, 2021, Spezia played Juventus in Turin. As Gyasi made his way back down the tunnel at half-time, he saw Cristiano Ronaldo motioning towards him, jersey in hand.
"I was just thinking, 'How is this even possible? A big legend, a global icon like Ronaldo, waiting for me... Wow!' I was lost for words!" Gyasi tells GOAL.
"After we had played Juve for the first time at home, I had gone up to him and told him that he was a big inspiration to me and so many other up-and-coming players.
"He was so nice. He smiled and told me to continue working hard to make my dreams come true. It was a lovely moment, as I've always admitted that Cristiano Ronaldo is my idol.
"It's not just the skills he has; it's his dedication, the winning mentality. He has scored so many goals, won so many trophies, and yet every minute of every day, he's still so hungry.
"Look at him when he misses even just one chance – he's so angry and disappointed. It's incredible. How do you maintain that level of desire?
"He just never stops. He wants to break a new record in every game. That's what keeps him going. So, for me, as a player, watching him is an inspiration. He motivates me to keep working hard.
"So, to then get his jersey and have a nice chat with him in Turin, that was unbelievable. I thought I was dreaming."
GettyGyasi had certainly come a long way since being offloaded by Torino at the age of 22 without ever having played a game for the senior side.
There had also been loan spells at Pisa, Mantova and Carrarese that never materialised into permanent moves, but he never lost faith, never let his head drop.
"I'm a person that always looks forward," he says. "If I see that there's trust in me, great, but if they think that I'm not ready or something, no problem, I just think about writing a new chapter somewhere else.
"I'll try to find a team that believes in me and I'll just try to work hard to reach my goal, because I set myself a goal at the start of every season.
"This is my mentality: to always try to improve. And I'm someone that never loses hope either. Even when things are not going well, I'll keep working hard every day to turn things around.
"I always believed I could play in Serie A but I was willing to wait."
His patience would eventually pay off. Spezia saw something in Gyasi that others did not, and they signed the versatile forward in the summer of 2016.
However, he was still a raw talent; he was not quite ready for Serie B. He needed more games, more time to develop.
So, they immediately sent him out on loan, first to Pistoiese and then Sudtirol. It was, as Gyasi says, the "turning point" in his career.
"When I came back to Spezia, I was a different player, because I had gained a lot of experience," he explains.
"It was still a big challenge for me, because I'd never played in the second division before.
"But I had a coach, Mr. [Pasquale] Marino, who had faith in me and gave me chances to show my quality."
GettyGyasi did not disappoint, becoming a regular starter during the 2018-19 season, which ended with Spezia finishing sixth but losing in the preliminary round of Serie B promotion play-offs.
They would not be denied the following year, though.
By then under the guidance of current Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Italiano, Spezia secured promotion to Serie A for the first time by overcoming Frosinone in the play-off final, with Gyasi scoring the decisive goal.
"It's difficult to put into words how I felt, because it meant so much to Spezia," he admits. "But it's maybe the most important goal in my career. Every time I see it... it's just such a great feeling."
He experienced something similar again last weekend, after netting a 94th-minute winner against Venezia.
It may not have been his prettiest goal, with Gyasi bundling home a rebound, but it was hugely significant.
Victory means that Thiago Motta's Spezia are now 10 points clear of the drop zone. A third successive season in Serie A is now more probable than possible.
No wonder, then, that Gyasi celebrated maniacally, tearing off his jersey before jumping the advertising hoardings to celebrate with the fans.
"I felt their joy, I could see it on their faces, so the same thing just came out of me!" he says, laughing.
"It was an incredible moment. When you're a kid, you dream about scoring the winner in the last minute of a big game, and this was a really big game for us.
"So, when that dream becomes reality, it's crazy. To see the fans reacting like that, absolutely ecstatic, it really touches your heart. It's a moment that I'll remember forever."
Gyasi is one of several players flourishing under Thiago Motta, who replaced Italiano at the helm last summer.
The former Italy midfielder was reportedly on the verge of being sacked shortly before Christmas, but is now earning praise for an attractive brand of football in which players are asked to perform several roles, none more so than Gyasi.
Getty"He's a very good coach and I like him a lot because he's a straight-talker. He's very honest," Gyasi says. "He says things to your face. He'll just let you know directly if you're doing well or if you're doing badly.
"I like people like that, so she's a coach I really admire. And he's managed the team well.
"We had a tough start to the season because we were dealing with many Covid-19 issues, but he brought the group together really well and we've been improving.
"So, I'm happy playing under him. I've learned to play not just on the wing but also No.9, in midfield and even left-back!
"So, it's good, because if the coach is trusting you to play in different positions, it means that he has a lot of faith in you."
Gyasi is at pains to point out, though, that neither he nor Spezia are taking anything for granted, not with so much football still to be played this season.
And that also explains why he is reluctant to look too far forward, even with the 2022 Qatar World Cup having come firmly into focus following last week's draw.
Gyasi may have been born in Palermo, but he represents Ghana at international level and there was never any chance of him deciding otherwise.
"I love the culture here in Italy but my parents are from Ghana and, when I was young, I went to stay in Ghana for a while with my grandparents. So, I love the culture there too," he enthuses.
"I fell in love with football in Ghana, too. When I was with my cousins, we used to go to church on Sundays but afterwards, we would go outside with all of our friends, we would start playing, without shoes or anything, by the roadside.
"I grew up dreaming of playing for Ghana, so when I had my first call-up last year, it was an amazing moment for me and all of my family. They were very, very proud of me."
It has not been easy, though, for Gyasi to lock down a place in the Ghana squad.
He may have three caps to his name, but he did not feature at all in their Africa Cup of Nations campaign, or their World Cup qualification play-off with Nigeria.
Not that he will give up, of course; it is simply not in his character.
"I'll give it everything I have between now and the World Cup," he vows, "and if the coach thinks I can help the team, it would be fantastic to be called up."
Not least because Ghana have been placed in the same group as Portugal, presenting Gyasi with another chance to meet up with Ronaldo.
"That's the new dream!" he says. "I dreamt of playing against him in Serie A and we had a couple of good conversations, so if we meet again at the World Cup, I don't know – maybe I could stop playing football and retire happy!
"But, you know what, even if I don't get to go, I'll still support the team from home. It wouldn't be a problem."
Still, while Qatar might seem a long way away right now, nothing is impossible with hard work.
Cristiano Ronaldo is evidence of that fact but, in his own way, so too is Emmanuel Gyasi.