After several years of adversity, AC Milan have bounced back as a top Serie A outfit since the arrival of new boss Vincenzo Montella who has turned their fortunes around with a much younger squad. The Rossoneri have found an unforeseen hero who once rejected a big money contract from Real Madrid in order to be a part of Liverpool’s revolution.
Jesús Joaquín Fernández Sáenz de la Torre, popularly known as Suso, has been pivotal in Milan’s resurgence scoring 5 goals and assisting 6 times in 13 Serie A appearances. The 23-year-old Spanish midfielder was lacking game-time under the then Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers and left the club to join Serie A giants AC Milan in January 2015.
Initially, he struggled to break into Milan squad and only made 8 senior appearances in that calendar year. However, a loan move to Genoa proved to be successful for the decorated midfielder as he scored six times for the Serie A outfit in 19 league appearances including a hat-trick against Frosinone.
His performances were not overlooked by Montella as he handed him a role over veteran Keisuke Honda. Suso did not disappoint and Montella’s preference paid off.
Suso was brought into Liverpool by former Reds boss Rafael Benitez from his hometown club Cadiz in 2010 amidst interests from Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona.
He said: ‘I had agreed on a contract with Real Madrid, and the transfer was basically done, but then Rafael Benitez called me and told me he had a lot of confidence in me and that I should go to Liverpool.’
But things changed rapidly due to Benitez’s departure after a dismal campaign and the club went through managerial as well as financial turmoil thereafter. Suso kept on impressing with Reds’ youth ranks that earned him a cult status among their fanbase.
He was handed a much-awaited debut on 20 September 2012 by Brendan Rodgers against Young Boys in an Europa League fixture. Three days later, he came on as a half-time substitute to mark his Premier League debut against Manchester United. Despite a 1-2 defeat at Anfield, he inspired his side to come back into the game with a man down and delivered another stellar performance.
He went on making 20 appearances in that campaign before being loaned out to newly promoted La Liga outfit Almeria for regular game-time and more senior exposure. Although he enjoyed a promising start, Suso’s form degraded lately and was dropped to the bench.
He returned to his parent club for the 2014-15 campaign and scored his first goal for Liverpool against Middlesbrough in a League Cup third round tie after coming on as an extra time substitute for Lazar Markovic. However, it was his solitary appearance in that season before leaving for Milan.
Suso’s instance might be compared to Paul Pogba who was once released by legendary Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson before resurrecting his career in Serie A with Juventus. Pogba, now hailed as one of the best midfielders, has been brought back by United for an all-time record for the highest football transfer fee at £89.3 million plus add-ons.
Suso’s rise to fame might be an alarming side for Liverpool who failed to keep hold of their promising prodigy. Nevertheless, he is still in his early days and has to be unswerving for the upcoming campaigns before being labelled as a transfer regret by the Merseysiders.
