DEST: "I'M AT THE RIGHT PLACE"

After Malick Thiaw and Aster Vranckx's first words as AC Milan players, Sergiño Dest was presented at Milanello today at 14:15 CEST. The press conference was broadcast live on the AC Milan Official App, Milan TV, YouTube and Twitch.

SURINAMESE ROOTS, JUST LIKE SEEDORF AND GULLIT
"I don’t talk a lot about my family. I’m quite reserved, but, yes, I do have links to Suriname, and I feel honoured to follow in the footsteps of these players, who have similar stories to mine."

POSITION AND CHARACTERISTICS
"I think I’m a versatile defender; I can play on both the left and right. The position I’d ideally like to play in is full-back, but I have attacking qualities that allow me to play further forward if that is what the Coach wants. From now until the end of the season, I’ll do my best to prove myself. I’m 100% sure that I’m at the right place; I can see it from the facilities and staff. It’s up to me to give my all to do my best."

AC MILAN’S AMERICAN OWNERS
"I prefer to focus more on football, but it’s interesting that the owners are American like myself. However, it isn’t one of the reasons that influenced my decision to come to AC Milan."

SETTLING IN
"Everything happened really quickly. I haven’t been able to see much of the city because we’re playing so many games. I feel like I’ve had a warm welcome, and the staff are really helping to accelerate the settling-in process. I get on well with everyone and have a good relationship with Aster Vranckx, but it’s great to be integrated and get on with the whole group and not just a few players."

SERGIÑO & SERGINHO
"I know of him but haven’t seen a lot of him. I know that he did great things, and I want to do just as many. I want to focus on myself in order to develop my potential on a daily basis."

SERIE A, AJAX AND BARCELONA
"I think that this league will help me become a more complete player. Serie A is well known for being demanding from a defensive perspective, and this is an area of my game that I need to improve. Ajax and Barça had a similar style which was more possession-based. At AC Milan, it’s quicker and more direct."

FULL-BACKS UNDER PIOLI
"The Coach plays with full-backs that get forward a lot, and this is an attitude that suits me perfectly. This season, I’ll have the opportunity to develop my attacking and defensive attributes."

PAST AND PRESENT
"My idol has always been Ronaldinho, but this is a glorious Club where many greats have played, including the person in front of me (Paolo Maldini, Ed.). Leão is a really strong player and does some fantastic things, but I think the team should be the focus as we look to achieve our goals."

Tickets are available for AC Milan v Napoli and AC Milan v Chelsea: see you at San Siro!