Modest Gattuso the cog in Italy's machine

DUISBURG, Germany, July 2 (Reuters) He is strong, aggressive, mobile and hard-working and at a World Cup where the flair of Brazilians failed to deliver, Italy midfielder Gennaro Gattuso perhaps symbolises what is most needed in a modern team.

Brazilians Ronaldinho and Kaka were billed as the men who would shine in Germany but it is midfielders such as Gattuso, France's Claude Makelele and Germany's Torsten Frings who are proving to be the essential ingredient in a successful squad.

Never one to mince his words or be unwilling to engage in self-depreciation, Gattuso, who will face hosts Germany in Tuesday's semi-final, finds it hard to take seriously the suggestion that he might be the symbol of the tournament.

''That is an insult to football. I can play well and win a lot of tackles but the entertainment and class of Ronaldinho, who certainly disappointed here, they are what I dream about at night,'' he said.

Despite lacking those silky skills, Gattuso has become a key component in Marcello Lippi's side.

Italy are unbeaten in 23 games and Gattuso's partnership in the centre of midfield with AC Milan team mate Andrea Pirlo has been vital to that success.

Today he was mobbed by Italian fans waiting outside the team's hospitality centre, 48 hours after being named man of the match in Italy's 3-0 quarter-final win over Ukraine.

The praise, just like the criticism he has received in the past, appears to hardly affect the Calabrian-born midfielder.

''It doesn't interest me in the slightest if an opponent asks for my shirt or not. Nor does it bother me if people say that I am a 'clogger' who can't play football. I know that there are many people who don't like me but I honestly don't care,'' he said.

Although Gattuso has played 45 times for Italy since making his debut against Sweden in February 2000, it is only in the past two seasons under Lippi that he has firmly established himself as a first-choice and not surprisingly he is full of praise for the coach.

''We have a totally different mentality to the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004. I'm not having a go at the previous coach (Giovanni Trapattoni) but the way we prepare for games now shows out on the field,'' he said.

''We are a very tight group and while we are not in charge of a game for 90 minutes we are a very hard team to score against,'' said Gattuso whose team have conceded just one goal, an own goal, in their five games so far.

The graft and grit of Gattuso have helped take Italy to the last four but the midfielder needs to avoid a yellow card if he is to evade the pain of reaching a final and missing it through suspension.

''It is not a problem for me and I'm not going to worry about it,'' he said, ''But it will be a test of my maturity''.

REUTERS DH PC1921