Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who signed for AC Milan just recently coming from Chelsea, has granted his first interview as a Rossonero to the club's official channels. He expressed his thoughts and feelings about the move to Milanello by saying these words:
"That was a special feeling. For me, it's a new chapter. I was at Chelsea for 20 years of my life. This is a special time for me to finally break away from the club: start a new chapter in my life, and for it to be AC Milan is incredible. To have the opportunity to play here, at the San Siro, this huge club with the history it has, the legends that have played for the club: it's an honour to put the shirt on."
He added:
"Fikayo Tomori is here, I think he's a great example of someone who's tried a new challenge away from England and has been very successful and for him to win the title with Milan and the success he already had with the club has aspired me to come here."
Loftus-Cheek continued to talk about Fikayo Tomori:
"I've played with Fikayo in the academy and it'll be good to wear the same shirt as him at the San Siro. I've spoken to him a lot in the past months, a couple of months even. Especially when things came out in the press. He was asking me if I were coming. At times, I couldn't say too much to him, but when things started getting serious, I started asking about the club. Just normal stuff, where he lives, where the players live, where the training ground is, just questions like that. He said: 'If you come, you will feel how big the club is, and the history of the club and what it means to play for AC Milan.'"
He added:
"I was always tempted to come, when we played AC Milan in the Champions League, I felt what it was like to play in the San Siro, even though I was playing against AC Milan, you could feel the atmosphere in the stadium, which was amazing."
On idols from Milan:
"I love to watch Kakà play, purely because he was an incredible runner with the ball and that's one of my strengths in the game, when I can open up and run with the ball. Kakà was one of the best at that. Kakà was definitely one of my favourites to watch."
Loftus-Cheek on Rafael Leao:
"We shook hands at the end of the game a couple of times. The level he's producing at the moment is at the top, world class. He can only go on to get even better... He messaged me a couple of weeks back as well. So, it will be good to meet and share a picture with him."
On his style of play:
"I'm accustomed to many positions in my career. Different formations require me to play different positions. I've been comfortable with that. But, I feel like my best where I can impact a game the most is in the midfield, in a box to box position where I can go up and score goals and get back and defend and bring my physicaly and that's what i really want to do in this league."
He continued:
"The Premier League is very intense and very physical. From what I've seen in the Serie A, it seems like a lot of tactics, a lot of chess, but I'll have to see and actually feel what it's like to play the games. I had Italian coaches (Antonio Conte and Maurizio Sarri) who are very tactical, tacticians, that's my experience with Italian coaches."
On his personality:
"I'm a pretty relaxed character, easy-going, passionate. Outside football, I like to relax with friends, I play a lot of tennis in my spare time. I like to stay active when I can. But, I just love playing football, and that's it."
Loftus-Cheek concludes with a message to the fans:
"Hi guys, I'm honoured to be at this club. I can't wait to wear this shirt on and play my first game in front of you. Thank you for the support that I've been getting already and like I said, I can't wait to see you soon"
