Ex-Roma legend Daniele De Rossi scores on dream Boca Juniors debut in Copa Argentina

The Italian legend opened the scoring in his first match for the Argentine club during the Copa Argentina encounter

Daniele De Rossi marked his Boca Juniors debut with a goal in a dream start to his career with the Argentine giants.

De Rossi, 36, joined Boca last month after ending an 18-year stay with boyhood club Roma in Serie A.

The midfielder had an instant impact in his first competitive match for the club, heading in the opening goal against Almagro in the Copa Argentina on Tuesday.

De Rossi got on the end of a corner from Alexis Mac Allister in the 28th minute to put Boca ahead at Estadio Ciudad de La Plata to rapturous applause from the home fans

His strike came in the round of 32 of the cup, with Boca bidding to win the tournament for a fourth time – having lifted the trophy in 1969, 2012-13 and 2014-15.

The former Italy international only scored 63 goals in 616 games for Roma, but made a dream goalscoring start to life at Boca.

When he decided to sign for Boca in July, De Rossi said he had chosen to continue his career with the craziest fans in football.

“These days I think I want to be inside this stadium, to know deeply what it means,” he told reporters when he committed his future the Argentine club.

“The reception at the airport was incredible. I can’t thank you enough other than by doing my job as seriously as I can. I have to be serious to show that we all made a good choice.

“From time to time we talked, Nicolas and I. First, I said yes after I left Roma, but then I asked him if I could think about it a little more.

“Being 36 years old and changing everything at once was something that could scare me, but this place stimulates me, and Nicolas was my guarantee.

“He told me that they are professionals in Boca, and I believe him. He is my friend; he would not have brought me to a place where I wouldn’t fit in.

“I need serious people, with a structure similar to that in Europe, and what I have seen here is that, a suitable place to work.

“I asked myself many times. I lived for 20 years in a country where football is lived 24 hours a day.

“I could have chosen a much quieter place to relax, but I only know one way: seriousness, and then I chose to come to a place with the craziest fans in football.”