Milan and Italy talent Stephan El Shaarawy knows “there’s a lot of expectation around me, but I am ready.”
The Little Pharaoh spoke to La Gazzetta dello Sport’s magazine, Sportweek, about his recovery from injury and starting all over again this summer.
Milan and Italy talent Stephan El Shaarawy knows “there’s a lot of expectation around me, but I am ready.”
The Little Pharaoh spoke to La Gazzetta dello Sport’s magazine, Sportweek, about his recovery from injury and starting all over again this summer.
“I know there’s a lot of expectation around me, but I am ready and so is the team. Even Inzaghi is ready. It’s not easy to train a big club like Milan at his age and after only two years in the youth teams, but he has a ferocious desire to win and so do we.
“Inzaghi asks us for spirit of sacrifice and attention to detail, especially off the field. I was his roommate, so I call him Pippo. He still acts as if he were our teammate.
“We want to forget eighth place from last season. We are targeting the Champions League spots, without ifs or buts.”
El Shaarawy barely featured last term due to a recurring ankle injury that eventually had to be resolved with surgery, but impressed so far in pre-season.
“It was disappointing. I was put in the middle of controversy, but fortunately I have my family and friends to protect me. I didn’t want to think about what people were saying and instead concentrated on recovery. I realised there is a lot of envy in this business.
“I think that what happened to me, between the injury and everything around it, made me grow up a bit. I really want to make up for lost time now.
“I can promise the fans that on the field we won’t let go an inch. I am convinced this group has quality.”
Mario Balotelli left Milan for Liverpool, but El Shaarawy assures he is committed to the Rossoneri.
“I have always been a fan of this team. I want to go back to being a protagonist, as I was two years ago. I want to get Milan back.
“In football nothing is guaranteed, as everything can change from one moment to the next, but I can say I’m happy here, everyone has faith in me and the fans love me too.
“When Mario left for Liverpool, we embraced. He said: ‘I hope you go back to being the player you were before.’ I replied that I was sure he’d do well in the Premier League.”