Former AC Milan star Andriy Shevchenko has admitted that he is a fan of Inter captain Mauro Icardi, as the city rivals prepare for Sunday’s Derby della Madonnina.
Shevchenko spent seven successful years with the Rossoneri from 1999 to 2006, lifting the Champions League, Scudetto and Ballon d’Or, before departing for Chelsea.
Having enjoyed some of his finest moments in a Milan shirt against Inter, with a record 14 derby goals to his name, the Ukrainian warned his former club to be wary of another prolific striker in the shape of Nerazzurri captain Icardi.
“Their [Inter] key man is Icardi,” Shevchenko told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “He is a captain, a leader and a good teammate, as well as being a great striker. I like him very much.”
Despite a summer of heavy spending, Milan have failed to impress so far this season, though Shevchenko urged fans to be patient and allow the project to develop.
“They are trying to build a competitive team and make the fans happy,” the current Ukraine coach continued. “It’s a team under construction and a leader still needs to be defined. The coach [Vincenzo Montella] has to be given time though.”
Shevchenko scored 175 goals in 322 appearances across two spells with Milan, and is the club’s second highest scorer in all competitions behind Gunnar Nordahl.
