Rome- Since moving to AC Milan from AC Reggiana in 2012 at the age of 14, Hachim Mastour has garnered the highest of praise from coaches, teammates and fans.
Despite not yet featuring in a single match for AC Milan in Serie A, many are predicting the 16-year-old prodigy, Mastour to be the greatest player to ever don the red and black. That’s saying a lot considering AC Milan has been home to the likes of all-time greats Marco van Basten and Kakà.
Born in Reggio Emilia to Moroccan parents, Mastour began gaining attention from major clubs all over the world by the age of 12. Deciding to start his career in his home country of Italy, Mastour signed with AC Reggiana before moving over to AC Milan. While playing in the youth divisions for Milan, Mastour provided a wealth of evidence as to why the club is so high on this young star.
AC Milan’s Youth Department Technical Manager, Filippo Galli praised Mastour as “perhaps technically the best we have ever had come through our youth ranks.” Galli went on to say Mastour is “pure talent.”
Galli isn’t the only person singing the praises of the Moroccan-Italian striker; Milan’s star striker, Stephan El Shaarawy told reporters Mastour was “destined for greatness.” UEFA.com named Mastour their “weekly wonderkid” at the end of January, comparing him to Barcelona’s star forward Neymar. Mastour’s play at just 16-years-old has garnered praise from almost all those who have been fortunate enough to watch the young phenomenon on the pitch.
Mastour’s greatest moment on the pitch thus far in his young career came last October playing for Milan Primavera. Mastour’s first goal for the squad featured his speed, ball control and poise under pressure; Mastour received the ball in midfield pushing past the defensive line with an unbelievable 'ruleta' (double drag-back) before placing the ball on the far post to beat the keeper, reminiscent of former Milan great Ronaldinho.
Despite not yet featuring in a Serie A game, former Milan coach Clarence Seedorf did draft Mastour to the first-team squad last year in May but did not let him see the field. Had Seedorf played Mastour in the game he would have been the youngest senior player to ever play for Milan and the 5th youngest in Serie A history.
Fortunately for Mastour, despite his age, his debut for AC Milan might be right around the corner. Milan has struggled thus far in Serie A play, winning just eight of their first twenty-five games, falling to the middle of the pack in odds to win the Serie A Championship according to Gambling.com. This slump in performance combined with an injury to El Shaaraway has many believing Mastour’s time to shine is on the horizon.
Although AC Milan is clearly excited about the phenomenon’s potential with the club, it is the Moroccan National Team that is most excited about the play of the youngster after Mastour announced in February he decided to play for his parents’ home country of Morocco. If Mastour lives up to the praise he is receiving at such a young age, the Moroccan National Team will feature one of the top players in the world for the first time in the African country’s history.
Although many consider it impossible to live up to the overwhelming praise and comparisons Mastour is receiving prior to his Serie A debut, AC Milan and the Moroccan National Team believe he as talented as advertised and will significantly contribute for both teams in the coming future.
The ensure the phenomenon contributes moving forward the Moroccan National Team only needs to fend off the youngster's birth country of Italy but AC Milan will have to ward-off top clubs from all over the world who are beginning to inquire about the services of the potential next great superstar.
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