AC Milan defender Simon Kjaer has spoken very openly about being a Rossoneri player and what it means to him, as well as how it has panned out differently to what he expected.
Speaking during a press conference before the Champions League second leg against Napoli (via Milan News), the Danish defender discussed the path that the team has been on over the past three years.
He explained that it was one of his dreams to play for the Rossoneri but he did not think it would be the way it has.
“A joy to be at Milan, one of my dreams as a kid. Then the path we took as a team with the coach…I had a dream, but I didn’t expect it to be like this,” he said.
“We have taken so many steps, and one of the things that I think has made so much of a difference has been the coach’s point of view, that every day he starts to push us to make us better and to never be happy with where we are. That is a very important step. If you would have told me three years ago that this would be our path then we would have all signed on. A good path.”
Should Kjaer start the game in central defence, he will have a tougher job than the first leg because Victor Osimhen will be back in action.
On the Nigerian’s return for Napoli. Kjaer said: “It’s not the work of one person but a team effort. Maximum respect, then we think about us.”
He was also asked how he would get his teammates charged up for a game like this and as one of the older members of the squad, he explained how he would remind them how short a career in football at the top level can be.
“By saying that these games here, you never know when you will play another one. They are evenings that will stay with you your whole life, for better or worse. That’s why we play football, for the emotions and the adrenaline. The other night in San Siro was one of the best experiences I’ve had in my career. Tomorrow will be a little different but it gives you an emotion that you can’t find anywhere else. That’s why we play football,” Kjaer explained.
