New AC Milan Hero Manuel Locatelli Aims to Emulate Club Legend

​AC Milan supporters have a new hero to adore: Manuel Locatelli. The 18-year-old midfielder scored a screamer to give the Rossoneri a vital 1-0 win over old rivals and Serie A leaders Juventus last weekend.

'Loca' - as the teenager is known - has risen through the ranks of the Milanese club and was given a chance in the first team by former boss Filippo Inzaghi, who had managed the teenager in the youth teams.

New Milan boss Vincenzo Montella has also acknowledged the talent of the Lecce-born midfielder, and has selected Locatelli on six occasions so far this season in Serie A.

The tremendous strike past Gianluigi Buffon was not even Loca's first phenomenal goal for the club; he also got on the scoresheet during the 4-3 win over Sassuolo, in which Milan came back to win after being 3-1 down.

Locatelli's run in the first team has garnered the media spotlight, with boss Montella likening him to former Milan great Demetrio Albertini, while others have pointed to another former Milan midfielder, Fernando Redondo.

The praise does not stop there though, with the club's president, Silvio Berlusconi, claiming that Locatelli is reminiscent of the legendary Gianni Rivera - either way, the youngster is trying to keep his feet on the ground, as reported by ​the Daily Mail.

Despite all these great names being banded about, Locatelli himself plumped for a different player when drawing a personal comparison.

"I appreciate the president's words, they made me very proud. I plan to keep my feet on the ground and give my all in training. I had a poster of Andrea Pirlo on my wall, he was my idol. I want to emulate him, I watch his matches to learn from him."

No pressure then.

Although he ended his career with Scudetto titles at Juventus, Italian maestro Pirlo made a name for himself at the San Siro with AC Milan and it is no surprise that Locatelli has identified the holding midfielder as an idol of his.