Gianluca Lapadula has revealed that he initially rejected Genoa for Milan in 2016 and described his experience at San Siro as 'unforgettable'.
Lapadula was in hot demand after his 30-goal season for Pescara in 2015-16, and the striker eventually moved to Milan, where he scored eight times in only 13 starts, before joining Genoa last summer.
“It was incredible,” he told Calcio2000.
“As soon as it became a concrete possibility, I had no doubts. Then, for a while, I stopped hearing from Milan and I was about to sign for Genoa.
Gianluca Lapadula has revealed that he initially rejected Genoa for Milan in 2016 and described his experience at San Siro as 'unforgettable'.
Lapadula was in hot demand after his 30-goal season for Pescara in 2015-16, and the striker eventually moved to Milan, where he scored eight times in only 13 starts, before joining Genoa last summer.
“It was incredible,” he told Calcio2000.
“As soon as it became a concrete possibility, I had no doubts. Then, for a while, I stopped hearing from Milan and I was about to sign for Genoa.
“Fortunately, in the end, Milan decided to sign me. I didn't have a single doubt. I reached an agreement with them in an hour. I also got married.
“No 9 shirt? I've never been superstitious and honestly, I've always liked the responsibility of wearing it.
“That shirt gave me important responsibilities, the ones I was looking for. I'm very happy with what I did.
“We got back into the Europa League, we won a trophy [Supercoppa] and I played 13 full games.
“I managed to score eight goals, pick up three assists and did much more than it seemed.
“My worst moment? Certainly the start. I arrived in bad physical condition after a backbreaking year at Pescara, with 46 games in my legs, including the playoffs.
“Luckily, in time, I recovered and it went well. The most beautiful moment? There were so many. My first goal in Serie A, qualification for the Europa League and winning the Supercoppa.
“Finally, I won't forget the affection of the Milan fans.”