Pepe Reina is “honoured and happy” after signing for Milan – “when you’re a kid you dream of signing for a club like this”.
The Spanish goalkeeper left Napoli at the end of his contract to join the Rossoneri, and his official presentation took place this afternoon.
“It’s a special club and always will be,” Reina began by saying.
“When you’re a kid you dream of signing for a club like this, I’m honoured and happy to be here and have the desire to help the team and the club.
Pepe Reina is “honoured and happy” after signing for Milan – “when you’re a kid you dream of signing for a club like this”.
The Spanish goalkeeper left Napoli at the end of his contract to join the Rossoneri, and his official presentation took place this afternoon.
“It’s a special club and always will be,” Reina began by saying.
“When you’re a kid you dream of signing for a club like this, I’m honoured and happy to be here and have the desire to help the team and the club.
“Taking Milan back to fighting with the best is a wonderful challenge.
“I understand that the club has place important trust in me and I just want to thank them. With my work and my professionalism it will be up to me to repay this trust.
“That doesn’t change at any club I go to. We need to improve last year’s position. That’s the challenge.
“We need to be ready to take Milan to where it deserves to be and has to stay in the future.”
Reina was presented alongside directors Leonardo and Paolo Maldini.
“I’m almost 36-years-old and it makes my palms sweat just to be in their midst. It’s not easy to sit here alongside these football legends.
“I had the misfortune of losing a Champions League final to this gentleman here [Maldini]. Milan is a club with the number 7 [for seven European Cups] on the sleeve and that has to be respected.”
The veteran will be reunited with Gonzalo Higuain, with whom he played at Napoli.
“I’ve found him really motivated and in great shape,” Reina said.
“I didn’t speak to him during the negotiation, everything was more or less done when he called and asked where I lived.
“I told him everything I knew but I didn’t have to convince Pipita, he was thinking of Milan.”
Reina will be competing for the starting shirt with Gianluigi Donnarumma.
“I’ll do what I always do, I’ll do my best and wait to play, and respect whatever decisions the Coach makes.
“We all want to give him a headache, and whatever choice he makes will be for the good of the team.”
The Spanish international was also linked with Chelsea, after Maurizio Sarri moved to Stamford Bridge.
“I called him to wish him good luck. There was never the possibility of going to London, and I never even allowed myself to think about it.
“I made this decision, which will be beautiful for me. I just thanked him for everything he’s done for me, our relationship goes beyond football.
“He always stuck his neck out for me and it was the least I could do.”