After Ruben Loftus-Cheek scored twice in AC Milan’s Europa League play-off match against Rennes on Thursday night, Owen Hargreaves praised the midfielder’s decision to leave Chelsea.
As part of the summer departure from Stamford Bridge, which saw several former first-team starters sold to offset the club’s massive transfer window spending, the 28-year-old Blues academy graduate left his boyhood club after 19 years.
Loftus-Cheek, along with fellow former Chelsea players Olivier Giroud, Christian Pulisic, and Fikayo Tomori, has adapted to Milan swiftly and established himself as a regular under Stefano Pioli. With his two assists in Serie A and his seven goals in all competitions, the midfielder made history on Thursday night by becoming the first Rossoneri to score twice in a European knockout game since Kaka in 2007. Following the game, Hargreaves not only called Loftus-Cheek a “good fit” at the San Siro, but he also questioned if the youngster would have preferred to have relocated overseas sooner. “It’s amazing to see that Ruben Loftus-Cheek is already 28 years old,” Hargreaves stated while working for TNT Sports. “I understand that he was always a star in his youth, but it seems like he ought to have moved abroad a little sooner.”
“What a talented guy he is.” most likely occasionally played a little bit deeper. He’s at his finest in this situation, coming into the box with his bulk. He has good ball-heading ability. He has aspirations.
It demonstrates that he’s in a really strong position with a team that utilizes his advantages. He is also scoring goals. He’s a little lucky that he gets to achieve that second ambition. “I believe there is more confidence now.” We’ve always known that he’s such a gifted athlete; at 28 years old, he’s clearly no longer a boy, and he ought to be performing at the highest level. Like Tomori, his former Chelsea teammate, and a number of up-and-coming players like Jamie Bynoe-Gittens of Borussia Dortmund and Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid, Hargreaves thinks Loftus-Cheek is reaping the rewards of playing away from the scrutiny of his childhood club. Hargreaves continued, “I just think there’s less noise around you (abroad).” Everyone is focused on you when your friends and family are around. Sometimes you’re in your hometown and you just want to concentrate on the football, but you can’t. He’ll be able to concentrate on his craft, pick up a new language, and experience a different culture there. “I would tell every player to step outside of their comfort zone and play somewhere else, even if it’s only for a few years.” Simply said, I believe you learn a lot.Having begun his career as a young player at Bayern Munich, the former Manchester United midfielder can witness to the significance of a player spending some time away from the Premier League. The 41-year-old moved to Manchester in 2007 after spending the first six years of his professional career in Bavaria. Milan’s 3-0 triumph at home puts them well ahead of their play-off match’s second leg. Milan was eliminated from the Champions League after losing to Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain in the group stages. Prior to their trip to France, Milan will play Atalanta the next weekend in an attempt to pass Juventus.