‘One of my biggest regrets’ – Andre Silva reflects on ‘dream’ Milan spell | OneFootball

André Silva has reflected on his time at AC Milan with a hint of regret, while also admitting an openness to returning to Italy one day.

La Gazzetta dello Sport sat down with Silva, and they begin their piece by recalling how he arrived at San Siro in 2017 as one of the most exciting signings of a summer transfer window that saw over €200m spent.

Milan paid €38m to get him from Porto and in doing so they put the future of the centre-forward role in his hands, but ultimately he struggled to ever really adapt to Italian football. He fared well in the Europa League, yet took until March 2018 to score his first league goal.

Seven years later, André is on the fringes of Leipzig and this makes him a tempting opportunity when it comes to the mercato. Tonight he returns to San Siro to play against Inter, with a bit of nostalgia and a lot of desire to return to high levels.

Inter-Leipzig means returning to San Siro. Is it the most beautiful stadium in the world?

“Yes, definitely one of the best. It’s a legendary stadium. It was a dream to play there in front of so many people, with the colours I loved.”

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For a former Milan player, Inter means the derby too. In 2017 the Nerazzurri won 3-2, with a hat-trick from Mauro Icardi…

“That was one of my first games as a starter, I remember it well. In the games at San Siro, with the stadium full, it was as if all those people were one, thousands of people screaming so loudly. The way the stadium is built, it’s an energy that is transmitted.”

Is there anyone from that period who you still have a friendship with?

“The person I spoke to the most over the years is Hakan Calhanoglu, I was often with him and Ricardo Rodriguez. I also met his Inter with Real Sociedad but in those two games we didn’t stop to talk.”

Would it be nice to return to play in Italy?

“One of my biggest regrets is not having left a mark in Italy. I always like to do that, I always want to express my maximum potential. Not having done so is one of the things that leaves me uncomfortable with myself.

“So the door to Italy is always open for me, to erase that discomfort. And then your culture is very similar to ours… Coming back would be something very positive but I focus on what I can control.”

Is a transfer also possible in January?

“When you don’t play much, it’s normal to start thinking this. I really believe in my potential and in the work I can do. More than anything, I want to compete and win, if not here it will have to be where I can do it.”

Expectations were high at Milan, given they paid €38m for you…

“The beginning was a bit of a shock, Milan was empty in August, I wanted to buy a sofa for my house and everything was closed.

“The truth is that it was my first year away from home, I didn’t speak the language and the club was in a period of instability, after the Berlusconi era. Of course, I didn’t play as much as I was used to, we didn’t win titles and we weren’t in the Champions League…”

It didn’t go well but what are your best memories of the time?

“Oh, the city and the fans were the best. I’ll tell you this, after learning the language I felt a much stronger connection. With my girlfriend, who will soon be my wife, we’ve been on holiday in Italy for the last 4-5 years.

“The first year in Sicily, then Amalfi, Puglia, Sardinia. Now for our honeymoon we want to take a train and go to Tuscany.”