De Sciglio: “Maldini comparisons are too early”

MATTIA DE SCIGLIO says comparisons to Paolo Maldini are too early and focuses on doing well.

De Sciglio started the first two games of the season due to Ignazio Abate’s injury and proved to be a great talent. That was followed by a solid performance for Italy under 21 team, in the 7-0 win over Liechtenstein.

Mattia turns 20 only in October but he has already earned praise from great Milan and Italy legends like Mauro Tassotti and France Baresi. De Sciglio focuses on doing well and says he can play on the left.

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“What has changed since I’ve become a player of Milan? I’m still pretty anonymous; I don’t have hair like the one of El Shaarawy so many people still do not recognize me. On one side, it’s better because I can have my privacy but I’m happy when people stop me and ask me for an autograph,” he told Sportitalia.

“My relationship with El Shaarawy? Stephan is a great guy, I’m very happy for him. He’s a great talent, and he already showed it last year. This season he will have even more space. I’m very happy for him. The departures of the senators? Surely last year the senators were very important in the dressing room but my teammates are all very calm and they know that this year we have to go out and achieve our objectives.

“The group is good and strong even though many important players have left,” De Sciglio added. “Maldini comparisons? As a kid I was a Milan fan and I followed Maldini because he was a defender like myself and he was the captain of my team. I think that being compared to him is too early since I’ve just started.

“It’s still a great honour and I hope to repeat everything Maldini did. The Italian national team? It was a wonderful experience that I will always carry in my heart. But now I’m thinking about doing well at Milan and at the Under 21 team, which is my category. Then we’ll see what happens. If I can play on the left? It doesn’t make any difference to me. I’m well on the left and can use my left leg well. Playing there is not a problem.

“Mauro Tassotti? I thank him for the beautiful words that he’s spoken about me and for the help that has given me. In every game and in very training session he’s always ready to give me advice and help me. I owe him a lot.” Tassotti said that he sees himself in De Sciglio, who also wears the number 2 jersey.

De Sciglio, who joined Milan in 2002 from Cimiano and made the jump to the first team last season, also admitted that he uses Facebook, likes all kinds of music and likes to go to movies and do shopping.