AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who is set to join Paris Saint-Germain by the end of his contract, has granted an exclusive interview to redbull.com, where he has mostly spoken about his debut and future goals. Here are his statements:
On his childhood:
"My goal has always been to become number one. I lived in Pompeii with my sister and in my room I had Buffon and Dida posters. At first I didn't train well, it was just fun. I was 5 when my uncle started taking me to the pitch and I immediately realized that I would like to be a goalkeeper. I was never afraid and I was reckless. It was not easy to jump on a clay court. Football has always been everything to me, when training was canceled I always cried. I owe everything to my uncle and my father, if I'm here it's also thanks to my parents."
What was your dream as a child?
"Winning the World Cup and the European Championship with the Italy shirt. This is every child's dream. Coach Ernesto Ferraro has always believed in me, he was convinced that I could make it to Serie A. At 13 I left home, it was exciting but hard. My uncle was always crying. I went to the station and together with three other teammates we left to go to Milan. I was excited because I was going to a new city alone, I was also a little down in the dumps. We then immediately went to retreat. We were in a residence and we had the whole first floor. The first few days waking up and not being at home was really hard. I missed home a lot and in the morning I cried. In the end I made it. At Milan I found an incredible environment, the youth sector is fantastic, without very strict rules. In moments of difficulty we always give each other hand".
How did you get to the first team?
"At the beginning I played for half the year with the very young national teams and for the other half with the regional students. Then I went to Beretti and to the Primavera. The third year I went to retreat with the first team and in October I made my debut in Serie A. I started as a third goalkeeper, then what happened happened. It was a week that I will never forget, I felt that there was something strange, then on Saturday I came to the field to finish and they told me that Mihajlovic He wanted to talk to me. When the coach calls you in the locker room you understand that there is something. He asked me if I was afraid of playing in Serie A and he knew I would say no, I couldn't have any. He wanted me to play because I was the strongest. I thanked him so much for the trust. There was a bit of emotion during the finish, then I immediately called my parents to tell them. I told them to take the train and get on, they didn't get it said twice".
What memories do you have of the first game?
"I conceded a goal from Berardi, against Sassuolo, on my post. After a mistake you always find it hard to digest everything, I kept thinking about it. The next day I was a bit disheartened but Mihajlovic called me and showed me one of his goals in Toldo , always on his pole, from further away. He told me that even the best make mistakes, even after years of experience. He reaffirmed all his confidence and those words were very important".
How do you get so high?
"I have always thought that work always pays off, working with humility, sacrifice and passion is easier. I have been playing in Serie A for 6 years now, there is more respect. I make myself heard and my teammates listen to me too. The goalkeeper must command the defense, we must transmit security and trust."
Do you review the games?
"Sometimes yes, especially when I don't sleep. I like to see the ones that went well but not the others. I always look ahead, both after the mistakes and after the good things. As they often say, the best save is always the next one.. I think about the present".
And what is there in the future?
"I hope to play as long as possible, up to 40, it's my passion. My goal is to win as many trophies as possible, especially with the Italian national team. The incredible dream is to win the Ballon d'Or, I'll give it my all, then we'll see what happens. Every day you can learn something new."
What is Gigio Donnarumma afraid of?
"Of lizards (laughs ed). Seriously speaking, I'm a little afraid of the plane, but I'm getting over it."
