Rafael Leao says Kaka was “a hero of mine at Milan and I’m happy to represent the team he played for”, but Cristiano Ronaldo is his “favourite player”.
Leao opened his account for Milan with a fine finish against Fiorentina during their 3-1 defeat at San Siro last Sunday.
The 20-year-old then highlighted Paolo Maldini’s role in his move from Lille over the summer, while revealing the two Rossoneri players he looked up to.
“Kaka, Ronaldinho, Pato, Robinho, Maldini... [Maldini] called me and it was important that he convinced me by talking to me about the project.
“Since that phone call from Paolo, I didn’t need anything else to accept. Kaka was very strong, very quick.
“He scored many goals in the position he played and he was a hero of mine at Milan. I’m happy to represent the team he played for.
“Rui Costa was also a great player, he’s Portuguese like me. I hope to become a great player and make the difference like he did.”
Naturally, his role model is a certain Portuguese star who plays for Juventus...
“My favourite player is Cristiano Ronaldo. He’s also Portuguese and he inspires me a lot. He’s worked hard to achieve his objectives.
“He’s an idol for me and for every Portuguese. He’s a role model. It’ll be strange to meet him because I’d only saw him on TV or PlayStation... It’ll be a proud moment for me.”