The Argentine believes he has found his level following months of criticism and injuries since he joined the club.
Angel Di Maria has revealed that he had been waiting a long while to show his level at Italian club Juventus after a night to remember in the Europa League.
Di Maria was the inspiration as Juventus thrashed Super Eagles star Moses Simon and his Nantes side 3-0 in the second leg of the Europa League playoff.
He opened the scoring with a stunning left-footed curler five minutes into the game and then doubled the advantage 15 minutes later from the penalty spot to give Juventus a comfortable 3-1 lead on aggregate.
Di Maria completed his hat-trick in the second half he wrapped up the tie 12 minutes from time to give Juventus a 4-1 aggregate win and a place in the round of 16.
I have waited a long time for this opportunity
After the game, the 35-year-old admitted that his performance on the night was overdue.
According to the World Cup winner, the Old Lady wanted to qualify for the next round and he's happy that he was able to finally raise the bar for the club.
“I am truly happy to have been able to finish off the good work of the team and turn it into goals,” Di Maria said, according to football Italia.
"We wanted to get through to the next round, the Europa League is very important for us. I had been waiting a long time for an opportunity like this with the Juve jersey and I have been able to raise the bar."
I am happy now
Di Maria joined the former Italian champions as a free agent after leaving Ligue 1 giants Paris St Germain when his contract expired.
However, his time in Turin has seen the former Real Madrid star heavily criticised following a not-so-impressive start to life with the Biaconeri.
But Di Maria believed he could offer more to the club and is in a happier mood now, especially after the remarkable outing against Nantes.
“I try to help the team, we won and are in the Round of 16. This result means a great deal for our season, winning here with the entire stadium cheering against us, but we got what we wanted," he added.
“I know that there was criticism and I felt bad because I knew I could’ve given more. It took me a while to find my form, then I had relapses with the injury. It wasn’t easy on a psychological level either, but I am happy now.”
Related content
01:16 - 24.02.2023
UCL Osimhen headlines team of the round of 16 first leg
An XI of outstanding players from all eight games in the latest round of UEFA Champions League action.
20:41 - 23.02.2023
EUROPA LEAGUE Guardian Angel Di Maria leads Juventus past Moses Simon's Nantes into round of 16
Juventus defeat 10-man Nantes 3-0 to advance into the Europa League round of 16 thanks to a Di Maria hattrick
12:46 - 22.02.2023
BETTING TIPS Europa League playoff round betting tips, odds and accumulator
The second leg of the Europa League playoff round will see some teams make it into the round of 16, while other clubs exit the competition. We have brought you an accumulator from this round of fixtures.
22:31 - 20.02.2023
SUPER EAGLES Osimhen reveals his favourite player and more
Super Eagles star Victor Osimhen made some revelations about his favourite player, his best moment at Napoli, his early days as a defender etc.
17:55 - 20.02.2023
LIGUE 1 Mbappe and Neymar lead game week 24 team of the week
Mbappe, Neymar, but no Messi in Pulesports' Ligue 1 team of the week
20:02 - 19.02.2023
SERIE A Moise Kean leads charge as Juventus down Spezia
Juventus secured a third consecutive victory in Serie A after defeating Spezia 2-0 at the Stadio Alberto Picco
15:49 - 17.02.2023
LIGUE 1 Preview: PSG trio needs to start clicking again as race for the title heats up in GW 24
Neymar, Messi, and Mbappe must improve their post-World Cup form if PSG are to keep their Ligue 1 lead
12:41 - 17.02.2023
PREMIER LEAGUE UEFA urged to block Qatari bid for Man United
Human rights group FairSquare has called on UEFA to block any Qatari bids to purchase Manchester United in order to preserve the integrity of European competitions.