After playing for AC Milan for more than four seasons, England central defender Fikayo Tomori has become the mainstay of the team's defense. Recently, Tomori accepted an interview with "The Players Tribune".

Thanks to Maldini, I was able to join Milan

Tomori: "I lost my smile, my playing time was getting less and less, and my career seemed to have stalled. Then I got the phone call that changed everything.

When I told my dad , he was confused as to why Paolo Maldini was talking to me. I explained to him that he was the sporting director of Milan and he was calling to loan me there. To be honest, I couldn't believe it myself during the whole call. , listening to him talk, but my mind was almost blank. I was thinking of only one thing: I was talking to Paolo Maldini, and that was Paolo Maldini himself! Even if nothing happened in the end, I can at least say that I talked to Paolo Maldini very much. Milan; when he realized the call was real, he started giving me a little lesson about Milan, although of course I knew a lot too. He was right, it was such a famous club and I felt like I wasn't ready for it."

Advice from a Chelsea team-mate and his first impression.

Tomori: "Afterwards I talked to some of my Chelsea teammates who had been in Italy, Tony Rudiger, Mateo Kovacic and Emerson. Tony told me that if I had a chance, I had to go to Milan. The Italian fans are crazy and if I give my best, they will love me. And Thiago Silva, when he heard the word ‘Milan’ he gave me a thumbs up

So I went

and they showed me around the museum: there were so many trophies that you couldn’t count them, but the most touching moment was when they handed me the bag with my jersey. I was staring at the Milan badge and it was hard to digest it all. My dad told me it was all true."

What it's like to play in Italy

Tomori: "I don't mean the food or the drink, though. I have to admit that I have become a convert. The unique thing here is the fan culture that Tony, Kovar and others have tried to explain to me, but there is more to it than what they describe. It is pure madness, a positive madness. There are so many fans who refuse to let you pay for coffee or show you their Milan tattoos. I've seen a lot of Giroud celebrating goals in derbies and for them, it's like learning the language as soon as possible and being a part of it. "It's so important. I want to be fully integrated. In a club like this, you can't do it half way."

On the Serie A championship journey and the feelings at that time

Tomori: "The love given to us by the fans during the championship journey was huge. Without their help, we would never have been able to do it." There were a lot of special moments on the road to the title, especially at the end of the season. I remember the derby in February, when I had just had knee surgery, and when Ollie scored the second goal, I jumped like a miracle. In April, we beat Lazio 2-1. Tonali scored in the 92nd minute and the whole stadium was in a state of excitement.

I have to applaud my teammates, we are such a special group of friends off the pitch. We eat together, not in small groups, but together as a team. This is a team that (thanks to Gazidis, Maldini, Massara and Pioli) gives a lot of young people the opportunity to take responsibility and grow. Of course, there are experienced players like Zlatan in the team. Rich player."

What the first 24 hours were like after winning the championship

Tomori: "The next 24 hours were just crazy. It took us five and a half hours to walk through the crowd during the trophy parade. You couldn't even see the road. The crowds, the flags, the fireworks and the red smoke. The night after the game against Sassuolo, I went home to celebrate with my dad that I had won the Serie A title and it was better than I could have imagined.}I really wish I could find the fan who grabbed my shoulder again at Sassuolo. If I could, I would grab his shoulder and tell him in my best Italian: I understand now what it means. I hope you understand what it means to me."