Hermoso expected to stay at Roma | OneFootball

When he returned to Trigoria in June, Mario Hermoso seemed destined to remain only temporarily.

Coming off a loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen, with just 13 appearances this season and four months missed due to a shoulder injury, the Spaniard had been considered surplus to requirements and a sure departure.

Instead, he quietly changed his story, as reported in Corriere della Sera.

He approached the training camp with humility, never missing a training session, with the seriousness of someone who knows high-level football and refuses to give up.

Gasperini observed him closely, appreciating his attitude above all else, even more than his technical ability.

At the first opportunity, against Bologna, the coach chose him: starting center-right, in an unnatural role, preferring him to the young Ghilardi.

Hermoso repaid this trust with a mature performance: precise in his passes (36 completed out of 39), clean in his tackles, and capable of leading the build-up from the back.

“He’s a serious player, accustomed to playing on the big stage,” Gasperini explained.

Today, applauded by the same fans who booed him a year ago, Hermoso appears reborn: no longer a redundant player, but a valuable asset.