Tijjani Reijnders gave his first interview as a Milan player, opening up about his excitement at the move to the Rossoneri and the history of Dutch stars at the club.
The 24-year-old midfielder officially joined the Rossoneri from AZ Alkmaar today, moving in a deal worth €20m plus add-ons. He has penned a five-year contract with the club, understood to be worth around €1.7m net per season.
Reijnders is Milan’s fifth signing of the summer transfer window following Christian Pulisic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Luka Romero and Marco Sportiello.
Speaking to MilanTV, Reijnders first discussed how it felt to sign for Milan.
“I’m very happy and content to be here. I’m also very proud to be part of this great club. When my agent told me that Milan were interested in me, I was excited and happy.
“I was happy that a club like this were interested in me and so the choice was honestly very easy for me. I didn’t have to think twice.”
He spoke about the history of Dutch stars at the Rossoneri.
“When my father was young, he always watched Van Basten and Gullit, he always told me about when they played at Milan and showed me every possible video.
“They have had a huge and incredible impact on this team. I’m very proud to be the next Dutchman to play for this club.”
The Dutchman revealed his childhood idol.
“Last week I watched some videos with Ronaldinho and he was my idol when I was younger.”
He was asked if he spoke to any of his compatriots plying their trade in Serie A.
“I talked a lot with Teun (Koopmeiners, ed.), he told me that life in Italy is very good. The Italian league is of an excellent level and is perfect for improving you as a player. Certainly, this also influenced my decision.”
Reijnders discussed his role on the pitch.
“I’m a box-to-box midfielder who likes to play attacking football, create chances for my teammates or put myself in a position to score.
“When it comes to defending I never back down, so I consider myself a typical box-to-box midfielder.”
He also spoke about his life off the pitch.
“I am a sociable person, I like making friends, joking around, and enjoying good company. I like travelling, getting to know new places in the world and playing video games.”
The 24-year-old commented on his initial impressions of Italy.
“I like the culture, the food and also the coffee, which is very good here.”
He explained why he chose the shirt number 14.
“The number 6 is always my first choice, but you can’t take the number of a Milan legend. The number 14 made me think of Johan Cruyff, who was a very important player for us in the Netherlands. His is a beautiful number.”
Finally, Reijnders sent a message to the Milan fans.
“Hello Rossoneri fans, I’m very happy to be here. I hope to win many trophies with you in this team and I can’t wait to start.”