Having been announced by the club, Divock Origi spoke to the media during his presentation this afternoon. The Belgian is clearly very eager to begin his AC Milan adventure and the expectations are high.
Origi has signed a four-year deal with the club and joins on a free transfer from Liverpool. It was announced by the Rossoneri on Tuesday but it has been more or less done for several weeks now.
Speaking to the media during the press conference, the forward shared his thoughts on the move to the San Siro side and explained why he chose the club. He also spoke about many other things.
On Milan-Liverpool last year…
“You could feel the culture of the football here, the history. When Milan scored the goal you could feel the crowd pushing. That’s what makes a big club.”
On scoring important goals…
“I would say I’ve followed the league, and the whole journey of Milan last year, it was a special season. You see when something special is happening, and then the important goals [of Giorud] against Inter and other strong teams. As a striker, your goal is to bring the best for the team, and that includes plenty of preparation. Then it comes out in ways you cannot anticipate. You must respect the process.”
On choosing Milan…
“I would say at the end of the season, we had conversations and after the season the project became very clear for me. It’s a special project on all levels, then you have the history and legacy of the club. I wanted to be part of that and bring my qualities to the project. Everything aligned, it was a very clear choice.”
On inspiring Milan players…
“There are so many, it’s hard to pick one. I can say that even before, I liked to look at videos of football history. You have Van Basten, Shevchenko, Inzaghi and many many others. But it doesn’t matter if you’re a defender or a striker, I get inspired by everyone.”
Scoring important goals for Milan…
“As a player, you always want to be important and valuable, but I believe in being able to focus on the right things, believing in the process. Creating beautiful moments is nice because you can share them with the fans. I’m very optimistic.”
On Maldini and Massara…
“It was very decisive. I know Maldini as a great football player, he’s in the hall of fame for me. And Mr Massara, they have done a huge job here, looking from the outside. I’m very grateful, and when you see what has been achieved here it’s very big, huge credit to Massara and Maldini.”
On injury struggles and derby goal…
“In terms of injuries, it’s always about focusing on being as available as possible. You can use injuries to come back stronger, I feel very good, I’m reaching my prime when it comes to understanding your body in the best way. On derby goals, I wish I could tell you there was a secret but it’s mostly just respecting football and the opponents.”
Differences between Premier League and Serie A…
“It’s a different league, I’ve been able to play in different leagues and I like the way the game can change. The Italian game is a very tactical and intelligent game, there is a lot of individual quality. Every game is different, teams variate so much tactically.”
Joining Milan and Liverpool fans…
“I feel very grateful for the opportunities I have had. As a young kid, that’s all you work for. You give the best of yourself, that’s the most important thing. I want to focus on maximizing my potential. I will be able to give everything for the fans. I’ve heard many good things about the Milan fans. I’m looking forward to this journey.”
Have you spoken with any of your teammates?
“I like everyone. You can sense that there is a togetherness here, especially after last season. I’ve spoken with Pioli, but I will keep that confidential, though I can say we are both very excited. I expect a lot of myself. Milan are an unbelievable team.”
On De Ketelaere and Lukaku..
“Obviously on a club level, the expertise is there, I’m not the person to speak about that. The club is in very safe hands. About Lukaku, I’ve known him since I was young. You want to compete against great players, it’s good for the league.”
On Pioli…
“I want to be the best Divock that I can be, that’s the best thing you can do for the team and the manager. Knowing that you have a manager that does everything right is nice, hopefully we can write some beautiful chapters together with the team and the coach.”
Origi is currently recovering from a muscle injury and his goal is to be back for the first game of the season (Udinese on August 13). In other words, it’s almost certain that we won’t get to see the forward during pre-season.
