Watch: The streets won’t forget Stephan El Shaarawy at AC Milan
Stephan El Shaarawy had the footballing world at his fingertips when he broke onto the scene with AC Milan.
In our latest YouTube video, we’ve reminisced on some of his best moments in a Milan shirt.
The Italian winger was snapped up by AC Milan from Genoa in June 2011 in exchange for Alexander Merkel plus cash.
El Shaarawy was only 17 years old at the time and he was considered to be one of the most exciting prospects in Italian football.
AC Milan coach Max Allegri said at the time of the transfer: “He is young, has quality, and he is of the type of player that you must focus on to create a cycle – and make us competitive in Europe too.
“We have to be careful though, you don’t have to create a phenomenon.”
During his debut season with Milan, the majority of his appearances came from the bench as he played a total of 785 minutes of league football.
His quality gleamed through immediately though and while he still looked raw, his natural talent was undeniable.
He finished his first season with two goals and two assists to his name.
By the time the 2012-13 season had rolled around, El Shaarawy had taken his game to a whole new level.
He scored 16 league goals during his second season with the club and was only outscored in the league by Antonio Di Natale and Edinson Cavani.
AC Milan finished third in Serie A and this was probably when El Shaarawy’s stock was at its highest.
His flamboyant style had attracted interest from the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester United, but AC Milan insisted he wasn’t for sale at any price.
El Shaarawy then had an injury-hit campaign the following season as he played just 210 minutes of league football in total.
After a series of injuries and bad fortune, El Shaarawy was never able to recapture the form he had showcased in the 2012-13 season.
He left the club in 2016 to join Roma, where he spent three seasons before joining Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua in 2019.
These days El Shaarawy is back playing for Roma in Serie A, but we can’t help but wonder what could have been if he had remained injury free.
More AC Milan
Can you name AC Milan’s XI from Kaka’s last game in May 2009?
Rivaldo, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho: Milan & mixed success with the three Rs