In training you could see Eden Hazard would become an incredible player... it was the same with Paul Pogba, says Stephan Lichtsteiner

EXCLUSIVE: Juventus right-back speaks to The Independent ahead of Champions League quarter-final second leg against Monaco

(Getty Images)

Just two days before travelling to Monte Carlo to take on AS Monaco, Stephan Lichtsteiner seems completely relaxed as he delivers a warm greeting and settles into a chair at the Juventus training ground.

There have been many reasons for the Swiss international to smile since he joined the Turin giants in a €10 million switch in July 2011, winning the Serie A title in each of his first three seasons, his arrival helping to lift the club from the malaise which had previously engulfed it.

It seems 2014-15 could yet be set to be even better however, the Bianconeri within touching distance of a fourth consecutive championship and having already secured a berth in the Coppa Italia Final. “It has been a great season for both me and the team,” Lichtsteiner tells The Independent in an exclusive interview, reflecting on a campaign in which he has already weighed in with three goals and four assists while defending the right flank with a perfect blend of energy, tenacity and intelligence.

The Swiss defender has contributed four goals and three assists this season (Getty Images)

That one of his strikes came against Parma back in November calls to mind the first competitive match at Juventus Stadium, with the same side providing the opposition on September 11, 2011. Making his full debut in the famous black and white stripes, Lichtsteiner netted the opening goal of the game, seeing 41,000 supporters celebrate in the peninsula’s first club-owned and purpose-built arena, he says was “an amazing feeling,”

“But the most important thing was that we went on to win the game,” he quickly adds, “because Juventus came from two hard years and it was important to make a good start.” They did that and more, remaining undefeated for the entire campaign, erasing painful memories of those two consecutive seventh place finishes and clinching the club’s first Scudetto of the post-Calciopoli era.

Lichtsteiner played with Eden Hazard at Lille (GETTY IMAGES)

“It was a perfect year,” says Lichtsteiner, and it all began with his goal, the full-back making a well-timed run onto a wonderful pass from Andrea Pirlo and slotting beyond the Parma goalkeeper. The understanding between the Italian midfielder and Lichtsteiner has grown increasingly deeper over the intervening years, with those passes becoming a regular feature of Juve’s play. “It’s a question of timing,” he offers, “but it helps that Andrea is an amazing player!”

Pirlo is not the only great team-mate the former Lazio star has benefitted from playing alongside however, able to discuss watching both Eden Hazard and Paul Pogba at close quarters as their talent blossomed. “Eden was there for my last year at Lille,” he adds, himself having played for the French club for three years after leaving Grasshoppers back in 2005. “In training you could just see that he was an incredible player, he had something that nobody else had.”

“It was the same with Pogba,” Lichtsteiner continues as he recalls the midfielder’s early days following his move from Manchester United. “He arrived at a club that was already winning and he worked hard, learning from Pirlo, [Claudio] Marchisio and [Arturo] Vidal.” Asked if he had recognised the quality he could see in Hazard and Pogba in any other player, Lichtsteiner says, “players like this are not like fish in the sea, but Kingsley Coman has all the attributes to eventually be a very good striker.”

Even with Pogba absent through injury, the Bianconeri had enough talent to eliminate Borussia Dortmund from the Champions League and have clearly improved this season, overcoming the impact of Antonio Conte’s unexpected exit and the subsequent appointment of Max Allegri. The team appears to have benefitted from the change, but the fullback is quick to praise both men. “They are very different people,” he comments, “but both are great coaches and are very important to the players here.”

Paul Pogba is being chased by clubs across Europe (Getty Images)

The biggest shift since the arrival of Allegri has undoubtedly been the implementation of a four-man defence, although the former Milan boss has often reverted to the back three so beloved by his predecessor. “Some people think we are better in a 3-5-2,” Lichtsteiner says, “but you can see in Europe it is important to play with four at the back, and we are still the best defence in Italy and one of the best in Europe.”

Indeed, the Bianconeri have conceded just fifteen goals in their thirty-one Serie A games to date, also allowing just five goals in nine Champions League outings. They have amassed no fewer than 25 clean sheets in all competitions, and – thanks to their 1-0 aggregate lead – another against AS Monaco this week would secure Juve’s passage into a first Semi Final appearance in Europe’s elite competition since 2003. The Stade Louis II awaits, a stadium Lichtsteiner previously experienced during his time with Lille, and one he expects to be sold out when the second leg of their quarter final gets underway on Wednesday evening.

“Normally when you play there it’s in front of five or six thousand people,” he says. “It’s a small stadium but this week I think it will be full and the atmosphere – while nothing like that in Dortmund – will be good.” He expects a tough game, and believes people should be wary of overlooking the quality found across Ligue 1. “It’s not a league that people regularly discuss,” Lichtsteiner says, “but it’s a good league with fast, skilful players and is tactically very strong thanks to some very good coaches.”

Lichtsteiner has a tenacious reputation - but has onl y been sent off once in his career (Getty Images)

While the outcome of the clash with Monaco is difficult to predict, another all-action display from Lichtsteiner is almost guaranteed, the consistency of his performances being one of his many admirable traits. He has also become known for regularly drawing the ire of opposing fans and players, his impact on games needing no introduction in Rome, Glasgow or anywhere in between. “They think ‘is this guy crazy?’” Lichtsteiner suggests, but goes on to say “it’s not like I’m out there kicking opponents or getting red cards.”

Indeed, despite his robust approach and infamous reputation, he has only been sent off once – in the derby against Torino last November – in a professional career that now spans some fourteen seasons. “It’s my job to provoke, which is important as it can lift my team,” Lichtsteiner reveals, saying that “every team gives 120 per cent against Juventus and I can get our fans behind us this way. I don’t do it constantly because, at 31-years-old I know when to do it, when to get our team that boost it brings.”

While fans of other teams vent their anger in his direction constantly, Juventus supporters adore Lichtsteiner, with one recent banner depicting him as a member of the Swiss Guard, the elite force charged with protecting the Pope. “I love it,” the player himself says, believing it those in the stands showing their recognition of the effort he has brought to the side every time he steps on to the pitch to defend Gianluigi Buffon’s goal and help the Old Lady to victory.

Juventus hold a narrow 1-0 lead over Monaco (Getty Images)

Away from the field, Lichtsteiner admits that – aside from spending time with friends and family – his biggest passion is reading, listing John Grisham and Ken Follett as his favourite authors. “If I have time I also like to play tennis,” he says, joking that he tries “to be like Roger Federer,” before bursting into laughter.

Like the seventeen-time Grand Slam champion and compatriot, Juventus are once again serial winners, and will hope to take another step towards that most elusive of silverware on Wednesday evening. “Lifting a trophy shows how hard you worked,” the Swiss star says “and remembering it gives you the energy and motivation to do it again.”

With almost twenty years passing since the Bianconeri last tasted success in the Champions League, Juventus hope they can finally deliver new memories of European glory, providing Stephan Lichtsteiner with yet another reason to flash that smile.