Cisse: I was about to board a PSV plane before Milan called

Milan's 20-year-old forward Alphadjo Cisse talked about his rapid rise in Serie A and the beginning of his football career in an interview with Cronache di Spogliatoio. Cisse noted that he quickly played his first full season in Serie A and is now part of the Italy national team squad. He said that at Milan he is the team's top scorer in Serie A and in all competitions.

Cisse linked the start of his football career to the time when his father worked in a factory. He said a coach from Verona went after his father to bring him in, and described how his father would take a break from work every day at 17:00, arrive at the house at 17:15, and drive him to the pitch. He stressed that his father instilled his passion for football in him.

The player also said he still has many areas to improve. He said he once rated himself at 70 percent, but needs to lower that to 40 percent. He added that his coach at Catanzaro, Alberto Aquilani, told him that if he does not play at least 10 years in Serie A, he would be considered a failure, and that this remark motivated him.

Cisse said he played alongside Costantino Favasuli at Catanzaro, and that Favasuli moved to Napoli in the summer and is a very close friend of his. He explained that during the January transfer window, he was almost set to join PSV when Milan called before any word had come from them. Reminding that Milan and Napoli will meet in December, Cisse said they will see how that match goes.