Milan: Gabbia reveals ex-Napoli star helped him at Villarreal

Matteo Gabbia admits ex-Napoli centre-back Raul Albiol helped him at Villarreal: ‘I had to learn new things.’

Gabbia returned to Milan from his loan spell at Villarreal in the January transfer window to solve the Rossoneri’s injury crisis in defence.

He is getting regular playing time at San Siro and is expected to start on Thursday in a Europa League knock-out playoff against Rennes.

“Right now, I am not too focused on what’s going on outside the field. I am focused on the pitch and what we have to do as footballers,” the 24-year-old defender said at a press conference, as quoted by Milannews.

“I am happy we are winning games and that the season is going well. This is the most important thing, and we want to continue.

“I think Rennes are a very good team. They play vertically, they have fast and dynamic players who can cause trouble for us. We have prepared the game well and we’ll give us all to win the game because our target is to qualify [for the Round of 16].”

Reporters noted how Gabbia seemed more confident than in the past since returning to Milan, so he was asked what he had learned in Spain.

“It was the first time I went abroad and it was an important change,” he replied.

“I had to be more audacious and learn new things that boosted my self-confidence. I played regularly and in a different way. There were a few things that helped me.”

Gabbia played with ex-Napoli star Raul Albiol at Villarreal and the experienced Spanish centre-back played a key role in the Italian defender’s development.

“Raul is one of those guys who really helped me at Villarreal,” Gabbia admitted.

“He speaks Italian, so in the beginning, it was easier. He is a very nice guy, I am on good terms with him. He also contributed to my improvement.”

Gabbia played 13 games across all competitions at Villarreal before returning to Milan last month. He has already played six Serie A games with the Rossoneri since January, scoring one goal.