Juventus midfielder, Felipe Melo is pleased with how the year has panned out for him.

Since becoming a star at Fiorentina last season, Melo moved on to Turin giants, Juventus and has been an integral part of Dunga's national team plans.

Speaking to ESPN Brazil, the tough-tackling midfielder said: "I am very grateful to Prandelli and Dunga as they believed in my potential. These are men who are winners by nature,

"I was surprised when Dunga called me to play against Italy [in February]. I knew it was my chance and I grasped it with all my strength. It has been a good year in terms of my career."

Melo has been under intense scrutiny for not delivering the standards of his usual game in recent weeks and will need to improve his game if he wants to keep his starting spot in Ciro Ferrara's team.