Goncalo Ramos has insisted his individual goal tally does not matter to him as long as he celebrates lifting trophies with AC Milan.
Ramos was without a doubt the big splash of the summer for Milan, arriving for a club-record fee widely reported to be north of €70m with potential bonuses on top of that two. He joined from Paris Saint-Germain as the first signing, having won the Champions League in back-to-back seasons.
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Things have started well for the Portuguese striker, as he netted in front of the home fans on Friday night at San Siro in the 2-0 win over Venezia. He had missed a few chances before that, but stayed in the game and eventually broke the deadlock.
Ramos was interviewed by DAZN ahead of Sunday night’s big match against Juventus, which is a test of Milan’s early-season credentials. His words are via MilanNews.
What do you expect to do at Milan?
“I’m here to make history for AC Milan, just like anyone who comes here: we want to make history ourselves. AC Milan is already history, we want to make it better and win more trophies, more victories, and everything else.”
You are a club-record signing…
“I don’t think so much about the price I was paid but rather the trust the club has placed in me. For me, it’s a good sign that they paid a lot for me; it means they believe in me: they trust me. So I have to prove my worth and help the club win.
“It’s motivation and pressure, but positive pressure. I don’t think there’s a single solution to managing pressure: everyone in this situation feels it, and it also depends on the person. I really like pressure; they’re positive and important moments: there’s no pressure in moments that don’t matter.
“You train every week and every day, but in training there’s no pressure: you can make mistakes, you can improve… But when you get to a match, there’s pressure, and I really like that: it’s a good sign because it means you’re doing something important and that you can do something important.”
Do you believe you can score more?
“I like to think so: my job is to score, but this also shows my mentality and the way I work every day, not just during matches. I try to do everything right to be as close as possible to scoring, and obviously it’s not a nice feeling to miss goals.
“No one wants to miss, but it’s important to manage this situation because if after you miss a goal in the opening minutes, you can’t help the team or score the 1-0 goal, you can’t be important. If you let these things get to you, I think your game is already over.”
What mentality are you trying to impart on your team-mates?
“I think I’m already an experienced footballer because I’ve learned a lot from the players I’ve played with in my career: in the national team, at Benfica, and in Paris. Here too, I’m still learning every day.
“I’ve already won some trophies, some very important ones: it’s good that I can bring some of that winning mentality to the team. The best way to do that is to work hard every day, so it becomes contagious: I want to try to do that.”
What did it feel like to score that first goal at San Siro?
“It was a fantastic feeling to score at home, to hear the fans and the magic of the stadium. It was also nice to show a bit of myself: they could see me at work and score a goal. It was nice to pass this message on to the fans and feel their support.”
What is the aim for the season?
“For me, it will be a positive season if we win the Scudetto. I don’t care about goals. If we win the Scudetto, it’ll be a positive season. If I score 100 and finish seventh, it won’t matter. I want to win more than score goals: for me, that’s the most important thing, even if I don’t score that many goals.”
What is your first memory of Milan?
“I don’t have a real first memory of AC Milan, but as a child, my father always talked to me about Milan. It was his favourite club, he grew up watching AC Milan win everything, and his dream was to play for AC Milan one day. For me, the memory was my father talking to me about the club, not a specific match or goal.
“Every time I play, I always talk to my dad. He’s the first person I talk to after a game to see what I can improve on and what I did well and badly. He’s my coach in life. I understand myself very well and I’ve learned a lot from him. It’s great to have him by my side because he only tells me the truth and wants to help.
“He doesn’t tell me positive things just to make me feel good. He always wants to put me on the right path. His best advice? There isn’t one in particular, but I think it’s everything he tells me every day, after every game, talking to me about the things I can improve on.”
How important is family to you?
“Family is very important to me: they’re always there, they help me take a break from football because it’s important to enjoy some time with your loved ones, be with them, and do something with them.
“I don’t think thinking about training and football every day is healthy, so I need to enjoy time with my family. They’re with me through the good and the bad. It’s nice to have this stability in my life.
“I think my son will only remember AC Milan because he’s too young to remember Paris or what happened with the national team so far: he’ll start remembering from now on.”
How difficult has your journey been to now?
“I think moving out to live on my own at eleven or twelve was difficult. I never imagined leaving without my family, not even my parents believed I’d be away for so long. It was difficult in the first six months, but after that you chase your dreams, you play, you train, you spend time with your teammates every day.
“The hardest part were the first few months, but after that I was ready and I never thought about giving up this dream again. My dream is to win a lot with Milan and help the club win some titles again, to perform some magic with my team-mates.”
Do you feel the weight of the No.9 shirt?
“Everyone’s told me about the curse of the shirt, but I don’t think about it too much. Olivier Giroud played here recently and wasn’t affected. It’s an honor for me to wear the number 9 for Milan; it’s a heavy shirt. I really enjoy wearing it and hope to score lots of goals.”
What is it like working with Ruben Amorim?
“When Amorim called me, he told me he was counting on me and that if I came here, I would be important to the project. He told me I could help Milan with goals.
“He called me when I was at the World Cup, in July. I went to his room and we talked: it was very easy. A moment I will always remember.”
Which team-mates are you getting along well with?
“I had the best relationship with Rafa, but now he’s gone to another club. In general, I get along well with everyone. We have a lot of players in the dressing room who speak French, and then there’s also Diego Moreira who speaks Portuguese to me.
“There’s Mario Gila, with whom we speak Spanish. I also get along well with Chukwueze, but in general, I talk to everyone. It’s easy to be in our dressing room and in our team.”
Do you prefer the Gunslinger or the Sorcerer?
“I prefer the Gunslinger. They called me the Sorcerer when I was younger in the Benfica youth team, and it was a little joke with the people there.”
