Juventus icon Alessandro Del Piero is hoping his recent form - and an unexpected endorsement from Italy's famous Panini sticker album - will get him back into the Italy squad for Euro 2008.
''I'm still playing with the passion and enthusiasm I've always had,'' Del Piero told Italian TV Monday after scoring Juve's opener in their 3-2 win over Milan at the weekend.
Juve fans believe their skipper should get a recall from Italy coach Roberto Donadoni, who has ignored the 33-year-old striker since a disappointing performance against France in September.
Del Piero's cool finish against Milan was his 234th goal for Juve in all competitions, stretching his club record to over 50 ahead of club legends Giampiero Boniperti and Roberto Bettega. He recently broke legendary libero Gaetano Scirea's appearance tally of 552 games.
Playing in an all-out forward role, rather than on the wing where Donadoni has preferred him, appears to have rejuvenated the World Cup winner who lies joint fourth in the marksmen's standings, five behind top scorer Marco Borriello of Genoa.
Borriello, who has had a superb season, would appear to have booked a Euro 2008 berth as back-up to unquestioned No.1 frontman Luca Toni.
But La Gazzetta dello Sport speculated Monday that Donadoni could make room for Del Piero by including him among the midfielders in place of Roma's Alberto Aquilani, or even dropping Del Piero's club mate, utility back Giorgio Chiellini to allow for six forwards and only seven defenders.
Most of the press appeared to agree that Del Piero is close to the levels he showed before a serious injury he sustained ten years ago.
''He looks like the phenomenon he was before 1998,'' La Gazzetta said, quoting Juve coach Claudio Ranieri as saying: ''He's going through a golden period and really wants to get back into the Italy set-up''.
''The young lad in the No.10 shirt is back, and it isn't just a question of physical fitness,'' said La Repubblica.
''He's happier, mentally sorted,'' the Rome daily said, recalling that Del Piero has been a family man for three years now.
''You can just see he gets a kick out of everything he does,'' the daily said.
The player himself was quoted as saying: ''I'm hungry now, that's the difference''.
Last year, soon after dropping him, Donadoni praised the way the Juve captain was accepting Ranieri's decisions not to play him from the start of matches.
''Ale never argues, he just gets on with it,'' said Donadoni.
''He knows all he has to do is keep working hard and the results will speak louder than words''.
Since then, as Del Piero pushed Italy back-up winger Vincenzo Iaquinta out of the Juve starting line-up, Donadoni has repeated his advice that Del Piero should be ''patient''.
Some pundits think the Italy coach might even be swayed by Del Piero's inclusion in the Euro 2008 Italy line-up that recently appeared in the Panini album.
''We think Del Piero's going to make it,'' a Panini spokesman said.
Del Piero has won five Serie A titles in his 13 years with the Turin giants - plus another two revoked because of two ex-Juve executives' lead role in the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal.
Unlike many stars, he did not jump ship when Juve were relegated to Serie B because of Calciopoli, and led them back to the top flight in one go.
In recent years he has accepted spells on the bench with a widely praised grace.
At the 2006 World Cup, Del Piero came on late to score a memorable clincher against Germany to seal Italy's place in their victorious final against France.
Del Piero told the radio interviewer Monday the World Cup triumph ''was the sweetest victory of them all''.
AC Milan legend Jose' Altafini, who profitably prolonged his playing career with a mid-'70s spell at Juve, recently said: ''Class increases with age. I joined Juve at 34 and scored a lot of goals from the bench''.
As well as the five scudetti, Del Piero has won one European Cup/Champions League trophy, one European Super Cup, a Club World Championship and an Italian Cup with Juve.
