Milan defender Matteo Gabbia enjoyed his Serie A debut in the 1-0 win against Torino on Monday night and thanked his teammates for the support.
The 20-year-old defender came on when Simon Kjaer had to be substituted before the break, but claimed he remained “calm” when called upon by coach Stefano Pioli.
Gabbia had only played eight minutes in the Coppa Italia previously, but now he is looking ahead and hopes to be involved against Fiorentina at the weekend.
Milan defender Matteo Gabbia enjoyed his Serie A debut in the 1-0 win against Torino on Monday night and thanked his teammates for the support.
The 20-year-old defender came on when Simon Kjaer had to be substituted before the break, but claimed he remained “calm” when called upon by coach Stefano Pioli.
Gabbia had only played eight minutes in the Coppa Italia previously, but now he is looking ahead and hopes to be involved against Fiorentina at the weekend.
“My grandparents, who have a subscription at the Milanello to watch me train, will surely be happy,” Gabbia told Sky Sport Italia. “I tried to do my best.
“The club decided to take this path with me. I thank my teammates a lot. They helped me grow.
“Let’s see if I will play against Fiorentina. I try to improve every day; I do what the coach asks of me. The training helped me a lot. Now, let’s see what happens.
“I will enjoy tonight, but then I will go back to the hard work tomorrow.”
“I try to learn from Kjaer and Romagnoli. They can teach me a lot. Seein [Paolo] Maldini, [Alessandro] Nesta and Thiago Silva helped me. When Pioli called me, I was calm.”
He continued to thank his teammates and pointed out how important the first-team coach Filippo Galli has been for his development.
“I had worked well during all these months. When you enter the pitch, it all depends on you,” he added. “I have to thank my teammates.
“[Zlatan] Ibrahimovic congratulated me. It’s not a lot of words, but the compliments given are enough for me,
“Filippo Galli was important for me, to help me change from midfield to defence. When you make such a transition at a young age, it’s difficult to interpret, but now you can see the results.”