Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan reveals why he is so good with the ball at his feet, fine-tuning details and reacting ‘crazy’ to being told he is not the best.
The shot-stopper was a sensation in his debut Serie A campaign, helping to win the Scudetto and named top goalkeeper of the tournament, but missed much of the second due to injuries that also forced him to miss the 2022 World Cup with France.
Sitting down with Excellent Sport Nation for a lengthy interview, he went over how he had wanted to be an outfield player or even a striker when young and continued playing both roles until at least the age of 13.
That early experience means he is good with the ball at his feet, as shown so many times when playing out from the back.
“I really didn’t want to end up as a goalie. You know, it really sucks! All you do is wait. You watch the others player, you stand there and get smoked,” said Maignan.
Yet at 13, he was tested at the Clairefontaine academy and chosen to become a goalkeeper.
The 28-year-old was born in French Guyana and came up through the PSG academy, moving on to Lille in 2015 and then to Milan for €15.4m in the summer of 2021.
“Being the best goalie in the world is easy, but four years in a row… That’s why you have to work hard, be driven, no matter the millions you earn, you keep working.
“I’ve got most of the basics down, I try to maintain them and fine-tuning, work on the details. Why did I stop that ball? Why wasn’t my foot on the ground, why wasn’t my body placed this way? After that, it becomes more of a mental task. I need to think two or three seconds ahead, I already know the options.
“I wake up every morning to perform, to be the best. When we play a training game, my team must win. If we don’t, there’s a problem.”
Maignan says he doesn’t read the press, but also admits it “annoys me” when reading that another goalkeeper is better than him.
“Sometimes I get crazy. At 11pm, I get up, go to my sports room and I do my third training session of the day. And I don’t get tired until after the match.”