Lautaro Martinez believes his performances for Inter last season went under the radar after finishing seventh in the Ballon d'Or rankings this year.
Martinez enjoyed a successful campaign for club and country, helping Inter to their 20th Scudetto title and guiding Argentina to victory in the Copa America.
He finished last season as Serie A's top scorer with 24 goals in 33 appearances, eight more than Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic, who finished second in the scoring charts.
At the start of the season, Martinez became the first player in Serie A history to score four goals as a substitute during Inter's 4–0 win over Salernitana.
In total, the Argentine has scored more than 100 goals in Serie A, and despite being snubbed for the Ballon d'Or, Martinez believed he played an important role for Inter last season.
“Not only because I was top scorer in the Copa America and Serie A, but also because of the way I played,” Martinez said in an interview with Corriere Della Sera.
After making a crucial contribution for Inter, he went on to play for Argentina in the Copa America, scoring five goals in six games despite only starting twice.
“Sometimes yes. But team trophies have a different weight,” Martinez added when asked if his performances last season were underrated.
Martinez has picked up where he left off last season, scoring five league goals in 13 games for Inter as they sit third in the table, four points behind leaders Napoli.
The Inter captain will be confident he can add to his tally when his side play Como on Monday.
He has been involved in 25 goals in his last 24 matches against promoted teams in Serie A (20 goals and five assists).
But Martinez credited his impressive form to head coach Simone Inzaghi, believing his play has improved significantly since the Italian took over from Antonio Conte in 2021.
“I think so [that Inzaghi is underrated]' he admitted. 'His secret is that sometimes he still thinks like a player, so he understands us very well and lives things the way we do.
“For me the happiness is double because he was a striker and he knows how to leave me with a clear head and a smile.
“These are very positive things. I have learned a lot from Conte and I am grateful to him for that. With Inzaghi I feel that I have grown to an even higher level.”
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