"But the manager has always called me up to the national team when
I've been in good form.
"I prefer to play as
centre-forward, but he knows I can also play as a secondary
Montella also reveals that he was once a target for current England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson who had hoped to pair him alongside Christian Vieri when he was in charge of Lazio.
"It's true that he tried to sign me. Between myself and Eriksson there has
always been a great deal of mutual respect and I thank
him for his compliments about me. He is a true gentleman," insisted Montella.
Trapattoni has had his squad settled for a while and it seems certain that 27-year-old Montella has done enough to force himself onto the plane to the Far East.
And should that dream come true, Montella is convinced that he can be part of an Azzurri side that can go on to achieve great things.
"In the last three World Cups
we have never been beaten on the pitch. Penalty
shoot-outs excluded, of course," he said.
"But you can never tell. Before we beat England they were among the
favourites to lift the World Cup. Now a bit less, but
that's just how things go."