Chelsea loanee Alvaro Morata is among AC Milan rising star's 'idols'

Posted Sunday, February 10, 2019 by squawka.com

AC Milan striker Patrick Cutrone has hailed current Chelsea loanee Alvaro Morata among his idols as a young forward.

The 21-year-old is backed as one of the club's most exciting prospects having come through the academy to make his first-team debut in May 2017.

Why does Cutrone idolise Morata? Five key things to know…
1. Cutrone made his first-team debut for AC Milan in 2017 and as has seen himself become a regular fixture since.
2. The Italian has had to deal with competition from the likes of Gonzalo Higuaín and Krzysztof Piątek for the starting role this season.
3. But, this has also provided a good learning experience for the 21-year-old.
4. He has also named Chelsea's Morata among his idols for his goalscoring ability.
5. Cutrone has scored nine goals in 28 appearances across all competitions this season, the same as Morata.

Cutrone has played 28 games for Milan this season across all competitions, though just half of those have come from the start as he has had to fight Gonzalo Higuaín and Krzysztof Piątek for the main striking role.

Piątek only joined Milan in January as a replacement for loanee Higuaín, who terminated his move from Juventus in order to sign for Chelsea, with the London side looking for a goalscoring striker with both Morata and Olivier Giroud struggling under Maurizio Sarri.

Morata would join boyhood club Atlético Madrid on an 18-month loan but had been linked with a move to AC Milan early in the January window.

And Cutrone has now filed Morata as one of his striking idols, telling reporters: "My idols are whoever scores lots of goals, so Morata, Filippo Inzaghi, Robin van Persie, Luis Suarez. Paolo Maldini is also one.

"Once he came to pick up his son Christian and gave me his autograph. I was speechless."

Cutrone also spoke of the influence Gennaro Gattuso has on the Milan side, insisted he is happy to fight in training for his place in the starting XI.

"Gattuso is giving us the right stimuli," he added.

"Milan are playing well. Training is the only way to convince him to let you play more."

Inter and AC Milan should never leave the San Siro
Cutrone went on to recall being given an opportunity to play at Old Trafford as a teenager, having to overcome an operation to just play a few minutes at the 'legendary stadium'.

"When I was 14, I hurt myself when I went to catch a ball at a holiday camp in Puglia," he added.

"I cut myself under my armpit. I kept playing, but a month later I got an infection during a tournament in Manchester.

"I was operated under total anaesthesia by a Sikh doctor, then I began to pray to De Vecchi, my coach: 'Gaffer, please give me a few minutes in the Final.'

"I couldn't miss out on Old Trafford, a legendary stadium like San Siro. I hope Milan and Inter don't move. You breathe the history there. It gives you an indescribable feeling."