Okafor discusses Milan move in personal interview at Leeds: “Then I went to Milan”

Noah Okafor’s time at AC Milan did not go as anyone had hoped or expected it to. Instead, the Swiss was a bench option who helped late on. 

There were never, really, high hopes for Okafor. Arriving as a left-winger with the option of also playing up front, he was never going to be the starting option, at least whilst Rafael Leao remained present.

His minutes did not even match those of a rotational option. Instead, they came in spells, and he was most commonly seen off the bench towards the end of games. Of course, that is a part of football, but even with the low expectations for the Swiss, he failed to hit them.

Open Okafor

It is not a one-way street; there were certainly moments where the winger could have been given more opportunities. However, sometimes the cookie crumbles that way, and unfortunately, Okafor was a victim of that.

Today, he spoke to The Athletic at the Leeds United training ground to discuss his move and the reason it went wrong.

“I was at my top in Salzburg. It was really a good step for me to develop. Then I went to Milan. There, there were plans with me, but in football, not every time the plan goes as everyone wishes. For me, it’s the most important thing to play, to play every game.

“Then I can get on my top, develop each thing I have to improve, for what I do well. Every player wants to play. I need to get my confidence back, and in this team, I can find that.”

Moving to Leeds…

“This [playing infrequently] is hard when you play two, three, or four games as a substitute (for) 10, 20, 30 minutes. For players, it’s hard to get in shape and really get the confidence.

“That’s why I also made this decision (to come to Leeds), because I know what my quality is, I know I have to improve, and that’s why I work every day hard. It’s the most important thing to come every day with a smile and give the best on the pitch.

“You are not used to the rhythm, so when you go to a game, of course, football is hard. Sometimes, it’s normal to have a little pain or something, but that’s why I said I work really hard.”