Emerson Royal, AC Milan's latest signing, shared these thoughts with the club's official channel, as relayed by Milan News:
About his tattoo 'Win or Win':
"It’s a phrase very important to me because when I was a child, I lived in a favela and I always thought only about winning. I had to win in life to help my family, especially in football. When I play, I always want to win, even if it's just a game with friends. I got this tattoo because it represents who I am."
On the favelas:
"It means everything to me. Many people think favelas only have negative aspects, but negative things can be transformed into positives. That happened to me. As a child, I had little, and there were always shootouts where I lived. This made me mature and want to take my family away. I knew how to play football and told my mother that I would play football and change her life. People thought it was impossible. There are people who have prejudices; if you're from a favela, they think you can't make it. I always wanted to win. Today I can't stay there much; life changes, but when I can, I visit and try to help the children and foundations in the favela. For them, it's important to have someone like me to help."
On whom he thought of when he signed for Milan:
"I thought of my son and my wife. My son changed my life, and my wife always does everything to be close to me. They are the two people I think about the most. I also have my mother and my brothers, but the most important are my wife and my son. I’ve always dreamed of being a father; I love my son very much and wish I could always be with him. There’s a bond between us that’s hard to explain. My wife also gives me a lot of love and gave me my son. His name is Claudio, and my wife is Stella."
On playing against Milan with Tottenham:
"When I entered San Siro, I felt a great emotion because it's a beautiful stadium, full of fans. Before the game, I looked at the fans and hoped that one day I could play for them. Now I'm here at Milan, and I want to experience that atmosphere again, but this time with the rossonero shirt. I’m here to make a difference."
On his nicknames:
"Royal and Black Panther."
On his passion for rap, Emerson Royal said:
"I know Leao writes songs and likes to sing. I told him we should compose music together. I fell in love with music as a child and started composing samba pieces. Then I began composing rap tracks and have a studio at home in London. I will do it here in Milan as well."
On the number 22:
"The 22 is Kaká's. Wearing this number is a huge responsibility. But I took it because I want to make history like Kaká. For us Brazilians, Kaká is a role model, and when I learned he wore the 22, I didn't think twice and chose it because I want to do well like him."
On playing for Milan:
"For us Brazilians, Milan is like our team, a Brazilian team. That’s why I’ve always dreamed of playing here. How can one forget Ronaldinho's magic? I watched many Milan games because I loved Ronaldinho. I know fans really like Brazilians; the club resembles Brazilian clubs a lot, so I have the full trust of the team and the fans to do my job well."
On gratitude:
"What am I grateful for? For everything. Since I started playing football, I am grateful to God. I believe strongly in God and am thankful for this opportunity. Sometimes in life, some things make us feel bad; it happened to me last year due to some situations, and now I find myself wearing the most glorious shirt in the world."
On the language, Emerson Royal commented:
"I don't speak Italian yet, so having people like Fonseca and Leao who speak Portuguese can help me a lot. I need to learn Italian as soon as possible to talk with my teammates. I am like that; I like to talk, make jokes, dance, and do many things. And to do it well, I need to speak Italian."
On Serie A:
"When I left Brazil for Spain, I found a slightly different style of football. In Spain, football is technical, while in England it's more physical. Now I’m arriving in Italy where football is more tactical. I believe the things I learned from my experiences in Brazil, Spain, and England can help me do well here. I know it's a tough league, but I came to fight and try to win."
