AC Milan winger Jens Petter Hauge has revealed the back story regarding his move to join the Rossoneri and life at the club thus far.
Hauge gave a long interview to The Athletic about how his move to Milan came about and how he has settled during his first few months, which have seen him score four goals across all competitions including three in Europe.
Now, he has given an interview to Kicker.de about a number of different topics, including his decision to join the Rossoneri, life at the club so far and some of his team-mates.
The story of Hauge’s arrival is somewhat of a fairytale as he arrived at San Siro for a Europa League qualifier against Milan and by the end of the night we had reported exclusively about Milan’s interest in the Norwegian youngster.
A move was completed in the coming days, and he has had an exciting start to life in Italy.
On what happened after that game: “After the game, everything went very quickly. I didn’t have to think twice about it. If a club like Milan makes you an offer, you have to take it.
“I really wanted to give something back to the club that gave me this chance in the first place. Back when I was still very young, they believed in me and gave me a chance. That’s why I’m just happy that Bodö got money from my sale.”
On rejecting Cercle Bruges: “Bodö and Bruges had agreed on a sum and the club was happy. But I refused because we saw that there were still many options.”
On playing at Bodo as a child: “Back then I wasn’t thinking about scouts or a professional career at all, I just enjoyed spending time with my friends on the football field.”
On the video of him studying Italian while in the plane after finishing a match and going back to Italy…
“There wasn’t much time between the game in the evening and training in the morning. So it was a good time.”
On playing for the Norwegian national team: “It was almost a bit strange, because I had to leave before I could even settle in. And after the international matches, the program was full again in Italy with Serie A and Europa League.”
On his place in the squad: “I knew it might take some time before I play regularly.”
On Ibrahimovic’s impact: “Even in training he has very high demands. It is great to have the chance to learn from him every day. He speaks to me a lot and gives me tips. How he plays, how we play and how I can play, how I work with the ball and without it.”
On playing in a young squad: “That is one of the reasons why I actually chose to sign with AC Milan. Because there are a lot of guys like me here who are still at the very beginning of their careers and who want to get better every day. The football that we play here fits me perfectly. It is fast, offensive and dominant.”
On his compatriots Haaland, Odegaard and Sander Berge: “There are many young Norwegian players that are performing at the highest level right now. The fans and the media are very excited about this new generation.”
On his friendship with Haaland: “I’ve played with him in many junior national teams and also now in the senior team. I try to learn from him because he’s so talented but still so humble. How hard he works every day is exemplary.
“I try to be like him. he inspires me. And most of all he is a role model for so many young players in Norway.”
On the Scudetto race: “That is a good question. We’ll talk again after the next 10 or 15 games. I think it is possible.”
Join in the discussion over on the Rossoneri Discord!
Good luck, Hauge. We are all behind you.
Don’t lose your confidence, remember you’ve got great talent (your field vision, your rhythm with the ball), work hard and wait for your chance to shine, Hauge!