Daniele de Rossi pays tribute to retiring Francesco Totti

Roma midfielder Daniele de Rossi has paid tribute to Francesco Totti after the club icon ended his illustrious career on Sunday.

Totti made his 786th and final appearance 24 years after his debut for the club in a dramatic 3-2 win over Genoa at the Stadio Olimpico, helping Roma clinch second place ahead of Napoli in the process.

De Rossi has been Totti's teammate since 2001 and believes that the 40-year-old deserves huge credit for staying with Roma when he could have moved elsewhere to win more trophies.

"There are some people who are not normal, they do not have normal life stories, and in this case we're talking about a football player," he told Gazzetta dello Sport.

"I read a banner that said 'In football the real battle is to wear the same shirt for 25 years' and it's true.

"I know what it's like to remain with a team for many years while not always getting exactly what you want. He won in another way, he won a trophy by uniting a city."

De Rossi has made 561 appearances for Roma, still 225 short of Totti's club record.