Di Maria desperate for Argentina glory

Angel di Maria concedes it would be “hard to take” if Argentina’s current crop of players did not secure a major trophy for the country.

Gerardo Martino’s side are favourites to claim glory in the ongoing Copa America – with Di Maria one of a host of star names at the coach’s disposal together with the likes of Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero.

Argentina will complete their group campaign on Saturday when they face Jamaica in Group B.

And after being part of the squad that reached the final of last year’s World Cup in Brazil, only to suffer defeat at the hands of Germany, Di Maria is eager to ensure his country taste success.

“Not winning something with these players, with this generation, would be hard to take,” said Di Maria – who missed the World Cup final through injury – in an exclusive interview with the Copa America’s official website.

“We reached a final and we couldn’t win it. We are going to win a Copa America, we can win a World Cup, but the thorn in our side will still be there after not winning in 2014.

“That will stay with us because we were so close to winning it.”

Manchester United winger Di Maria won the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid in 2014 and has also claimed league titles in Portugal and Spain.

Yet he said: “I would swap all that I have won with my clubs to win something with the national team. There can be nothing more special than that.

“We were just a step away [at the World Cup] and we felt it was ours.

“Everything you can win with your clubs is special, it’s spectacular.

“Having won the Champions League was the best thing that happened to be at club level, the best thing in my life. But winning something with Argentina would be even more special.

“Because it is your country, because you feel the shirt and a country behind you. We experienced that in Brazil. Every time we went out onto a pitch, we knew there were 40 million Argentines behind us.”