Alexis Saelemaekers said he feels 'at home' at Milan and vowed to ‘work hard’ to ‘achieve something important for the fans’ this term.
The 21-year-old arrived from Anderlecht in January 2020 and signed a permanent deal until June 2024 with the Rossoneri in September.
The winger has played 20 times in Serie A this term, contributing two goals and two assists, and thanked coach Stefano Pioli for helping him make ‘progress’.
Alexis Saelemaekers said he feels 'at home' at Milan and vowed to ‘work hard’ to ‘achieve something important for the fans’ this term.
The 21-year-old arrived from Anderlecht in January 2020 and signed a permanent deal until June 2024 with the Rossoneri in September.
The winger has played 20 times in Serie A this term, contributing two goals and two assists, and thanked coach Stefano Pioli for helping him make ‘progress’.
“All the progress I’ve made is also thanks to the staff and the team,” Saelemaekers told Milan TV. “Every day, the coach talks to me a lot.
“He tells me what I need to work on, so my improvements are thanks to the club and the team.
“I work as hard as I can and I’m happy to be here.”
Saelemaekers wants to be an attacking threat for the Diavolo.
“To me, it’s important to pose a threat and help the team score and that’s what I try to do every match,” Saelemaekers added.
“I need to continue doing it.
“We need to try playing with the mentality we had against Roma and do what the coach tells us in the dressing room,” he continued.
“The instructions he gave for the pitch, the movements he asks for. If we do all that, we can win this game.”
The Belgian said he feels well at Milan and described the team as a ‘family’.
“I feel great here, this team is like a family,” the youngster said. “I like coming every day to see the other players, because we chat and joke.
“It’s important for us mentally, because football isn’t always easy and having teammates who are like family is very important.
“When I go to town, the fans always talk to me. I feel at home here and I really like it.”
Saelemaekers said Pioli gives the team 'confidence', even when the results aren't going their way.
“It’s important for us that even when we lose, the coach talks to us about the next game,” the Belgian said. “And that he gives the squad confidence.
“And he does that really well.”
Milan are second in Serie A, six points behind local rivals Inter, and Saelemaekers vowed to fight and ‘give something important to the fans’.
“We’ve been working from the start of the season,” he said. “We want to give something important to the fans.
“It hasn’t been a good period for them too. Being in an empty stadium isn’t nice for anyone. We want to achieve something important for the fans.
“And we are working hard to do that.”