Appearing as a sub in the second half of the friendly against Lazio on Friday, the Italian was greeted with chants of "Grabbi, Grabbi!" right across the Blackburn stadium...
He told an official source: "It was great, it is very important for me to get on with the fans,
"When I hear my name, it makes me want to give my best and put all my energy into the game.
"It was good to meet up with players I know from Italy, like Nesta, Inzaghi and others. They asked me about football over here. I told them it is different, but very good.
"Playing against some of my friends from Italy was very enjoyable, but more important is to settle back here in Blackburn and do well. I am very happy to be here, it is a big club and the fans are great," he continued...
"I am very settled here now, my family will join me soon in our house in Manchester and I can't wait for the Premier League to begin again."