Leao: ‘Ibrahimovic so much fun’

Rafael Leao hailed “big brother” and Milan teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic. “He’s a hard man on the field, but off it he’s always a lot of fun.”

The 20-year-old Portuguese talent has struggled for playing time, but seems to be relishing the experience of training with Ibrahimovic.

“Ibra is like a big brother to me. He always helped me to become a better player and you can feel the difference with him on the pitch,” Leao told Milan TV.

Rafael Leao hailed “big brother” and Milan teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic. “He’s a hard man on the field, but off it he’s always a lot of fun.”

The 20-year-old Portuguese talent has struggled for playing time, but seems to be relishing the experience of training with Ibrahimovic.

“Ibra is like a big brother to me. He always helped me to become a better player and you can feel the difference with him on the pitch,” Leao told Milan TV.

“He’s a hard man on the field, but off it he’s always a lot of fun. I can be unpredictable when playing, but outside of football I am a shy person who likes to rest and sleep. I spend most of my free time at home and like to play videogames, including against my teammates. Ismael Bennacer is the most competitive in those games.

“There are so many Milan stars of the past that I admired, like Kaka, Paolo Maldini and Ronaldinho. It’s a great honour for me to be here.

“When I celebrate a goal, I mime a telephone, as it’s dedicated to my father when he couldn’t watch the games. I always loved football, but it was only when I went to Sporting that I realised my dream could actually come true.

“I certainly never expected to come to Milan so soon in my career. It’s a dream.”