Today, Tammy Abraham has become the latest member of the AC Milan squad to take part in the ‘Face Off’ series on the club’s official YouTube channel, and he spoke about his move to the Rossoneri and much more.
After Milan landed the signing of Alvaro Morata, their attentions turned to their other options. Leading up to the mercato, the idea of a unit made up of three strikers had been growing, and Giorgio Furlani offered some insight into the idea during a press conference yesterday.
However, who that third striker would be remained in the air for some time. At one point, it seemed like Niclas Fullkrug was the preferred choice, but things quickly changed, and Tammy Abraham found himself in the limelight.
Paulo Fonseca is reportedly a huge fan of the Englishman, so the links came as no surprise. Nevertheless, the Diavolo did not sign the striker until deadline day, and perhaps, the move could be seen as a gamble – and we looked deeper into that on our Substack page.
As has been the norm with signings this summer, they have participated in the ‘Face Off’ series on Milan’s YouTube channel, and Abraham was the latest guest. His words – relayed by Milan News – can be found below.
The importance of religion…
“It is a fundamental part, I am nobody without God, we are nobody without him. Even before arriving at AC Milan I prayed every day in the hope that something would happen for me. I couldn’t be more grateful to have arrived at such a prestigious club and it’s thanks to God.”
On arriving at AC Milan…
“It’s a dream, it’s an honour. I grew up following this fantastic club, with its glories. I have played against AC Milan in the past, now I am happy to play for them.”
Who are your idols?
“My family were big Arsenal fans and I grew up watching many Arsenal games and Tierry Henry was my idol. It was by seeing him that I wanted to be a striker. To this day I still try to copy some of his movements. But there are so many great players, like Ronaldo, Drogba that I got the chance to watch every week.
“There are so many great strikers who have played at this great club and it’s nice that I can follow in their footsteps. Idols outside football? My parents, they have been an inspiration all my life, they made sure I stayed focused, as well as my brother and sister, to achieve my goals.”
On his son and his partner…
“As a dad, the most important thing is to be there, to be always there, to help him, to guide him in his growth into a man. I am here to support his dreams, as my parents did with me. I will do it with him, whatever he wants to do, I hope a footballer and I hope a striker, but whatever he wants to do in his life I will be there to support him.
“My partner? I could talk about her for hours. We were friends, then we became a couple and she was always there for better or worse. As a boy I became a man and she was always there with me, she gave me advice. She is a fantastic mother and I thank her for being with me all these years.”
On his relationship with his family…
“When did they realise that my brother and I wanted to be footballers? When we started breaking every ornament in the house. Every day my brother and I were breaking lamps with the ball. From there they understood what we wanted to become. My brother took a bit longer, I started earlier, he was more interested in cars until he became interested in football.
“In my family we breathed football, we watched games together every weekend. Even my sister probably watches more games today than I do. It’s nice to be together and have a common passion.”
On his childhood…
“I was always motivated, I knew what I wanted to do and what I wanted to become. I always believed in myself. If I could go back and talk to the child me I would tell him: ‘Bravo! You always believed in yourself even when they stopped doing it. Not you’. I was not a silent child, I like to talk and joke with people. Life is fun and should be lived. Now I’m older, but I always want to have fun and do the things I like most.”
Your relationship with Tomori?
“I have known him since I was six years old, we grew up together, we have had many experiences together, we have always been there for each other. We grew up together, we got to the first team, we played in the Premier League, we got to Serie A and now we play in the same club. It’s really a dream.”
On his Nigerian origins…
“I have a few Nigerian friends. I grew up in an area with a lot of Nigerians. I grew up with that culture, I’ve been to Nigeria and I hope to go back soon. My mum often cooks Nigerian dishes.”
On San Siro…
“When you come out of the tunnel you get chills: you hear the music, you see the fans and you get chills. I grew up seeing so many players play and score at San Siro. It was beautiful, but now it’s time to score for this great club.”
How do you imagine your first goal with AC Milan?
“If I had to say one goal that would make everyone go crazy it would be in the derby against Inter: I touch my first ball, I score and we win 1-0. It’s my dream: to win the derby and dream.”
On the knee injury…
“I think in life you go through different situations, for me it was the injury. It was hard, I cried often because of the pain and the fact that I had to be out for a long time. But you can’t do anything about it. My son helped me a lot. I had the chance to be at home more, to watch him grow up and I fought for him. I told myself I had to do it for him. I have to come back stronger and prove myself.
“I’m happy to be able to prove my worth at this great club and show everyone that injuries don’t bring me down, I get back up.”
If you wish to watch the full video, you can do so using the link below.
