AC Milan and USMNT midfielder, Yunus Musah, spoke to GOAL.com about several topics, including his journey so far as a player.
Here are his words:
"At one point, I was the young player with the most minutes in Europe," he said. "Having that opportunity, you make so many mistakes in a game that are costly. You learn from all of these experiences at such a young age. They helped. They helped shape me. They helped me handle these pressures. I have so much experience already in my few years and I'm grateful because it's definitely going to help me in the future."
On adapting and making friends despite relocating to different countries at a young age:
"It felt like second nature, I guess," Musah said. "I had to do that a lot. I had to do it all the time, really. Coming into the team, not knowing anyone, I think maybe just knowing Gio [Reyna] from playing against him, but when you're open to new friendships, you manage to do it. At the end of the day, with football especially, it's easier to become friendly once you get on a pitch."
Most players say they don't hear the criticism. Musah admits he does. It's just no longer quite as loud as it used to be. Here's what he said:
"Being at Milan, you expect to have this pressure. It's a privilege because, at the end of the day, if I wasn't a professional footballer, I wouldn't experience this stuff. You have to take the positives as well and then, when people are criticizing you, saying bad stuff about you, I've found so much of that during my career that it doesn't phase me at all now. At the beginning, you see it and you listen to it. Then afterward, you just see it and it still gets inside. You get better at ignoring the comments, but you still see them. It gets inside you."
Yunus Musah adds:
"Because people have been seeing me play for longer, I'm getting less slack. They're not as patient anymore. When you've been in the game for longer, you need to be better. I understand that. I understand that, for sure."
On the need to score more goals:
"I just need to have some more composure because, in training, I can finish, I can score goals, I can do all of that. "It's just in the games, I put this pressure on myself because I haven't scored in so long. When I get to that situation, it's been really tough for me to have that composure. I need to work on being able to focus. I'm working on it! God-willing, I'm going to get those goals, don't worry. I just try to improve parts of my game day to day with the things that are missing. Obviously, in the final third, I need to get goals and assists. I definitely think with work, it will come"
