Euro 2020 final: A Scottish heart beating under an Italian jersey

Rose recently revisited the San Siro in Milan

Scottish football legend Rose Reilly will be watching Sunday's Euro 2020 final as if she is playing in it herself.

The former AC Milan and Italy player expects it to bring back the sights and sounds of her own tournament victory for the Azzurri.

Rose, 66, scored one of Italy's three goals when they won a women's unofficial World Cup in 1984.

So she will approach the big European final like one of her own matches, with focus and concentration.

'Like kicking every ball'

"I can't wait," she said. "It's going to be fantastic.

"I like to watch the game on my own, because I can concentrate.

"I'll have a pre-match meal, something light, as if I was playing, because I get all wrapped up in it as if I am kicking every ball.

"I am usually knackered after the game."

The former striker may be back home in Ayrshire, but her heart remains in Italy, as does her football allegiance.

Rose in her early playing days at Stewarton in Ayrshire

Rose left Stewarton at 17 to play professional football in Italy.

With her short hair she'd been scouted by several Scottish teams but they were always put off when they discovered "Ross" was Rose.

Speaking to Drivetime with John Beattie on BBC Radio Scotland, she said: "I went to Italy and for some unknown reason, the SFA banned me for playing for Scotland.

"Five years later when I was playing in Serie A, the president of the national team summoned me to his offices in Rome and asked me to play for Italy.

"There were 40 foreigners playing in the league and I was overwhelmed that he asked me to play for Italy.

"I was absolutely delighted because I thought if Scotland doesn't want me, Italy does and at least I can play international football."

Rose captained Italy 13 times during her international career.

Rose Reilly was a household name in Italy over a career that lasted more than 20 years

During an impressive career, Reilly also won eight Serie A league titles, four Italian Cups, and the Golden Boot in 1983.

She was voted best player in the victorious Italian World Cup team that played China in the final in 1983.

And in 1984 she scored a goal to help see off Germany to win another precursor to the World Cup, the Mundialito, 3-1.

'Italians are winning and we are not'

Eventually, she had to stop playing for Italy because Uefa and Fifa did not recognise that she was eligible. She said a bid to achieve Italian citizenship did not work out.

"I've always felt a Scottish heart beating under an Italian jersey," she said. "Winning the Mundialito, I was walking on air for about a week after. As an athlete it is the pinnacle of your career. It's the joy, it's the passion. The response in Italy was tremendous we were on the TV, on all the talk shows, complete enthusiasm for achieving such an accolade."

Rose won many titles playing in Italy

Rose says she feels like an Italian having spent all her life in Italy. In her home she speaks Italian.

So it's as an Italian she will be watching Sunday's game.

"You can see the passion Italians have got for football," she said. "It's tremendous. It's like us Scots but the Italians are winning and we are not.

"The Italian badge has four stars which means they have won four world cups but they never say it's coming home. There's no big talk, they just go out and win it.

"It's a different mentality, a winning mentality. They are focused on the game, not the hype around it. You shut yourself off to that and just focus on winning."

Rose thinks the big Wembley occasion will play in Italy's favour, despite 60,000 fans being expected for the "home" side.

Rose Reilly in action

"I don't think that will mentally affect the Italians who are mentally very strong," she said. "It will affect the English team more.

"I think England will start at 100mph because that's what the fans want and they may forget their tactics in the first half hour and burn themselves out

"The Italians will just lie in wait for them. They will just try to slow the game down at the start.

"The Italians are strong in every position and the guys that come off the bench are nearly better than the ones that are playing."

She added: "I am excited already, I wish they were playing tonight."