Junior Messias said he’s ‘excited’ to be at Milan and claimed his move to the Rossoneri proves that ‘dreams come true if you believe in them’.
The former Crotone star has joined Milan on a paid loan with an option to buy and the move to the Diavolo marks a remarkable rise for the Brazilian 30-year-old.
“When I saw the word Milan, I was excited,” Junior Messias told MilanTV. “It’s the team of my heart, the team I supported and I’m excited to be here.”
The former Rossoblu forward looks forward to working with Paolo Maldini and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
“Paolo was an exceptional player and now he is doing a great job as a manager. He’s an exemplary person,” the 30-year-old continued. “There’s also Zlatan, an extraordinary player.
“I learned to play on the street with friends, but sometimes even alone. If I had space to kick a ball, I did it on my own too.
“It was a beautiful thing and what I enjoyed the most. My parents have always pushed me, then my family, my wife, my children, changed me completely.”
He arrived in Italy five years ago and started in Serie D with Casale and admitted he didn’t need much time to ‘settle’ in the country.
“I arrived here and it was all different,” he said. “I had never left my village. It was a completely different world.
“I immediately settled in and started working. Then there’s my brother, who I brought with me and he returned to Brazil after 30 or 40 days, but I stayed.
“At a certain point, I didn’t believe in it anymore, I played to have fun. I didn’t think I could reach this level. In the amateur leagues you play for 10 months, then in the other two months I went to work and made deliveries.
“This thing made me see the values of life and it pushed me so much. If I arrived, it’s because I worked so hard, I suffered, I made sacrifices.
“When you arrive, you then have to show yourself, for the others, for the team, for the group, all together.”
He believes it will be ‘easier’ to play with big stars like Olivier Giroud and Ibrahimovic.
“Playing with them makes it easier,” he continued. “They make you understand, with their movements, when to play the ball.
“I’m humble and I work for the group, and this is my strength. It takes sacrifice, it takes work. I have never thought of reaching this high.
“But year by year, season by season, I was working to play in Serie D and when I arrived in Serie B, I was working for that division. Dreams come true, you just have to believe in them.”
Image credit: ACMilan.com
Day 1️⃣ at Casa Milan 🤩 #SempreMilan #NewPlayerUnlocked pic.twitter.com/V04YpH73XX
— AC Milan (@acmilan) August 31, 2021
🗣️ “Dreams come true if you believe in them”
Messias’ first words in Rossonero 🔴⚫🗣️ “I sogni si avverano, basta crederci”
Le prime parole rossonere di Messias 🔴⚫ #NewPlayerUnlocked #SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/8xOxrnGZux— AC Milan (@acmilan) September 1, 2021
I think this guy will surprise people.
I hope he delivers. Just look at him standing there with maldini. God knows we all suffer in life but if your intentions are in the right place you can always deliver.