Alessio Cerci believes he is ‘second to none’ when he trains well and that he can prove himself at Milan this season.
The winger struggled to make an impression after joining from Atletico Madrid in January, but told Tuttosport of his determination to succeed and that talk of a return to Torino is ‘fantasy football’.
Alessio Cerci believes he is ‘second to none’ when he trains well and that he can prove himself at Milan this season.
The winger struggled to make an impression after joining from Atletico Madrid in January, but told Tuttosport of his determination to succeed and that talk of a return to Torino is ‘fantasy football’.
“I know that the competition at Milan is fierce and I know they have two very good strikers, but there’s one thing I’m certain of – if I train well, I’m second to none,” said the Italy international.
“I can be competitive with everyone. I decided to train myself in order to stand a chance. I have great desire and great determination.
“I'm finally enjoying a good pre-season, Mihajlovic makes us work hard. Given that I’ve played little this year, this stage of the season is crucial.
“A return to Torino? What did Cairo say the other day about that? It’s fantasy football. Look, I say the same thing.
"In January I made the mistake of trusting. There were several teams that wanted me, including Inter, but in the end I chose Milan because I was given the assurance that I would play every game.
“It wasn’t like that and in fact I never played more than two games in a row. The squad wasn’t rotated and I was substituted more than anyone.
“They weren’t clear to me – I arrived after three or four months in which I hadn’t played much, it was obvious that I needed time and trust. I didn’t get that.
"I feel the confidence of the club, I want to show that I am a Milan player and show that on the pitch I can do great things.
“With excellent physical fitness and an open mind, the competition does not bother me.
“I’m certain that in the 4-3-1-2 that Mihajlovic uses my position is the second striker, a role that I already played in at Torino.
“In training I'm applying myself so I can understand all the movements well. Then, if the Coach were to move to 4-3-3, I would go to play on the wing.”