Newly signed AC Milan and Nigeria-born Swizz international – Noah Arinzechukwu Okafor has cited the club icons he admired and wishes to emulate on his €14 million Italian journey.
Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport while on tour in the USA with the Milan team, Okafor expressed his joy following his signature for the next five years with the Rossoneri.
“There is a great atmosphere here, the team is fantastic and the coach is doing very well. I recently signed for Milan but I’m very happy, I’m really confident about the future,” he said with a wide grin.
Without further ado, Noah stated his intention of kicking the ground running from the word ‘go’ going into the 2023-24 season.
“A footballer who doesn’t want to win is not a footballer. We have a strong team and I hope to win the Serie A right away.
“To do this, you always need energy, sometimes you lose games but you learn from defeats. Besides, I hate losing,” he affirmed.
Born to a Swiss mother and a Nigerian father, the 23-year-old reminisced on his time back home and his experience on the road.
“Yes, I’ve only been to Nigeria twice but I was younger, it’s been a long time. My dad arrived in Germany when he was 17, then he went to Switzerland.
“I learned from him, he always told me to be happy, to smile, to transmit positive energy, and to fight hard for my goals,” he said.
Okafor grew up watching great stars grace the pitch for Milan, and he wasted no time naming names that eventually sealed his love for the Italian giants.
“Milan is a great club, with a great history. It has had many stars, and great players but even now we are very strong, young, and hungry.
‘If I have to choose, I’ll say Ronaldinho, Kakà and Gullit. I’m still young but I want to help this team make history again like they did back then”
Okafor is yet to mark his debut for AC Milan during the pre-season but has held a couple of training sessions in camp.
