Francesco Camarda is quickly developing a reputation as one of AC Milan’s brightest prospects for the future, and he has revealed a bit about himself in an interview.
Camarda made the jump to the Primavera this season despite being just 15 and he scored a brace in his first UEFA Youth League against Newcastle.
He is making waves in terms of his international career too as he is one of the 20 players called up by Massimiliano Favo, almost all of whom were born in 2007. Camarda is the only one born in 2008.
The striker will turn 16 next March and he will hope to keep going on what has been an incredible climb to this point so far. He was interviewed by the FIGC website, with his comments relayed by MilanNews.
“Given that if I score, the credit goes to teamwork, if you think you’re a footballer, you have to be used to this,” he said.
He is currently in the second year of linguistic high school, on which he added: “Because my parents give a lot of importance to school and I don’t have to focus everything on football. Favourite subject? English. But also obviously Physical Education.”
On Wednesday, at the ‘Valentino Mazzola’ stadium in Santarcangelo di Romagna, he made his debut in an official UEFA competition for the Under 17 national team, scoring as well.
“Wearing the national team shirt is always an honour; it’s wonderful to hear the anthem and do it together with your teammates.”
The 4-0 victory came at the end of a match that reflected the predictions of the day before, with a clear Italian dominance in terms of the game and the difficulties of dismantling a very deep and compact opposing defence.
“The coach had anticipated that it could have been complicated and we had to finish well. The risk on these occasions is to underestimate the opponent, but we were good at approaching the match in the best possible way,” Camarda added.
“We are a very united group, we like to joke but we also know when we have to work seriously and be focused on the pitch: we have the right mentality.
“My idol has always been Ronaldo, the Phenomenon. My dad was also a big fan of Brazilian. I like watching videos of his plays and his movements. Among today’s players I really like Benzema.”
One of the few occasions where I’d say throw him on in the UCL game vs PSG just to get that exposure. Not for long but enough to absorb that sort of game and atmosphere. We were solidly losing anyway
Why would you wan that special kid to make his debut in a losing game where the team showed no heart at all? He deserves a debut at home in a winning game.
It doesn’t really matter. It’s for the experience. If he’s special, he might even pull a Zaire-Emery. Who knows…
We’ve got at least 6 strikers on our books and will no doubt add another 10 before he makes his made it to the senior squad.
He’ll then either become understandably frustrated at the total lack of plan or some genius will sell him for 100m so we can sign 10x10m strikers.
In a few years time he’ll score against us for either Inter or Juve, or he’ll find himself playing non-league because he was so badly mismanaged.
That’s what has occurred with nearly every one of his predecessors so what makes you think this situation is any different?
Already fishing for a move to the Bernabeu. 🤣
We don’t want this stupid article. We want him to make debut at 16 just like kylian mbappe
If Emery played that well against us if say let’s give the kid a chance next season…our midfield and defense were literally made to look like fools by a 17 year old.
Just give him debut at age 17. Loan him to serie B or serie A low tier club that guarantee playing time next season. If he is good on his loan club then you can use him at 2025
What Serie B or Serie A low tier club guarantees playing time to youth players particularly ones they don’t own?
What players have gone on loan and actually developed?
The only youth team players to really become established at Milan in 10 years never went on loan. Donnarumma, Calabria, Locatelli and Cutrone (what a base they could’ve provided as first team or back up) never went on loan.
Most of the players who went on loan disappeared.
Loans are a classic example of how the transfer market now dictates what happens on the football pitch rather than the other way around. People just bang on about loans because it creates “activity” and they imagine that there’s some plan to actually develop players rather than endlessly flipping them like some dodgy property developer or stick broker.