Simon Kjær, former AC Milan central defender, spoke to MilanVibes about some of the people he met at Milan:
“Paolo Maldini, as a person, is the first thing: with a human being you have to be in close contact every day, so I would always choose him also as an example to bring to an event like this one (the Franco Chignoli Memorial). But also Zlatan Ibrahimović, who sometimes isn’t that likeable, but as a person, for mentality and desire to win, I have never seen anything like that. From him I learned so much about that mentality and I’m very happy to have met him at 29 years old because he’s an animal (laughs, editor’s note). Eriksen, on the other hand, is the kindest person I have ever met in my life. We shared many years together in the national team and he has the qualities of an absolute top player.”
What can Simon Kjær teach?
“I believe that the thing which starts earlier and earlier, the pressure to win, creates a barrier in the development of talent. The advice is to have no regrets: when you step onto the pitch you have to go at 1000 and think about nothing else. What I experienced in the final part of my career was enjoyment and joy at the highest level: I knew that I had given everything in training, and when I went to San Siro, whether I won or lost, I came home calm because I knew I had done everything during the week at the maximum, at full throttle. It gives you the chance to feel satisfaction in staying on the pitch. My hope is that young players can reach this point through their own journey, for me it came at 29 years old.”
