Milik confesses to confidence issues

By Football Italia staff

Napoli striker Arkadiusz Milik confessed to struggling with self-confidence and criticism, but also advised Carlo Ancelotti on his ideal XI.

The Poland international spoke to Przeglad Sportowy in his homeland during the break for international duty.

“Every game is difficult for a striker when he doesn’t score. I haven’t really played for a month, I am rusty and lacking self-confidence. My form will improve with time and there is no point looking for the excuses of squad rotation, because I have to earn my place at Napoli.”

That is proving increasingly difficult, as Milik has missed some big chances in recent weeks.

“I have to separate reality from social media. I switch off my phone, it’s the only way not to go crazy and risk poisoning your mind. First of all, I look at where the criticism is coming from, as I care about the opinions of my loved ones, the Coach or the fans I meet in the street, certainly not some stranger hiding behind his phone.”

With Fernando Llorente and Hirving Lozano coming in, there is even more competition for places at Napoli.

“I am very happy that a player like Llorente has joined our team, as he has so much experience and I can learn a lot from him. I personally think our best set-up is me as a centre-forward flanked by Lorenzo Insigne and Dries Mertens. I do my best during training to convince the Coach, but at the end of the day, he is the one who chooses the line-up.”

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