Olivier Giroud has expressed pride at being able to finally realise his dream and play for AC Milan, insisting he feels ‘lucky’.
Giroud netted three goals in the preseason campaign including a brace against Panathinaikos in Saturday’s final warm-up game, meaning he is pretty much the man of the moment heading into the new campaign, which begins on Monday night with an away trip to Sampdoria.
The French striker has Italian origins and a strong connection to the country thanks to his grandmother. So far, he has shown a great work ethic and appears to have been a very welcome addition as an experienced centre-forward who has great quality and is a serial winner.
Giroud spoke during an interview with the official PUMA channels during the presentation of the Rossoneri third shirt, which features an unprecedented design for the club and has certainly generated an interesting response. His comments were transcribed by MilanNews and translated below.
What does it mean for play in an iconic club like Milan?
“Playing for Milan is a privilege, an honour. When you look at all the great players, the legends, I feel lucky to play for this club and even more so when I was young I looked at players like Van Basten, Papin and Sheva, they were mine favourite strikers. Obviously, so yes, Milan were my favourite club when I was young,” he said.
How did you get used to the squad?
“I received a very warm welcome from everyone at Milanello and Casa Milan, so I couldn’t have hoped for a better welcome.”
Do you like the third kit?
“Nice – look at that! Milan… band in the middle… you can see the AC Milan shield all over the shirt. I think it’s beautiful, I like black, I like coral!”
