Manuel Locatelli has hit out at AC Milan for the way he was handled prior to his exit, insisting the club stopped believed in him.
Locatelli left San Siro to join Sassuolo on a paid loan deal with the Neroverdi having the obligation to purchase the player outright at the end of the season.
He joined Milan from Atalanta’s academy system in 2009 as an 11-year-old, and spent nine years at the club prior to leaving in summer 2018. Since moving to the Emilia-Romagna club, he has established himself as a key member of the starting XI, particularly under current boss De Zerbi.
Locatelli spoke to MilanNews.it on the sidelines of the ‘Amici dei Bambini’ event recently and hinted that he would consider a Milan return despite the manner of his exit.
Now, Locatelli has an interview to DAZN and referred precisely to the complicated periods that followed his winning goal in Milan-Juventus.
“I too took my time telling myself that I had to do more, I was not at ease in training and game and this created problems for me,” he said.
“There was absolutely no being big-headed; parents and friends have always made me keep my feet on the ground. Not that I thought I was the strongest of all, but I was convinced that I had to play important games and score every game. I suffered because of this: first the headlines in the newspapers and then the criticisms, it was not easy.
“When there is an obstacle in front of you, you take three steps back, take a run and climb over it. I needed a change of air, to disconnect, the club [Milan] didn’t believe in me, they made me understand.
“The first few months were difficult, I came with a wrong mindset. I took everything for granted, I didn’t always train to the maximum, something mentally triggered me, I try not to make mistakes more especially as an attitude.
“The future? I would like to return to a great team, I am ambitious, I don’t know how long it will take me. I hope to go there as soon as possible but I don’t make mental trips, I just think about pushing in every training and in the present.”
