Donnarumma dreams of being Milan captain

Following an “extraordinary” debut season at AC Milan, Gianluigi Donnarumma dreams of going on to be the club’s captain.

Donnarumma made his debut in the 2-1 win over Sassuolo last October, retaining his place in goal ahead of Diego Lopez for the remainder of the season.

Still just 17 years old, the goalkeeper has been touted as the heir to Italy and Juventus icon Gianluigi Buffon, while reported interest from Europe’s elite clubs has been rife.

Milan failed to qualify for continental competition following defeat to Juve in the Coppa Italia final, but Donnarumma enjoyed the season on a personal level and has high hopes for his future with the club.

“For me it was still extraordinary. To begin at my age in Serie A is not something that happens to everyone,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“The tips from Christian Abbiati and Diego Lopez have been invaluable, I’m happy to have shared this experience with them.

“My personal goal is to continue getting better and for Milan to return to Europe next year, we will see.

“[In the distant future I imagine] maybe to still be with Milan, with the captain’s armband. It would be the culmination of a dream that I’ve had since I was a boy.”

However, the teenager admitted he had been hoping to be included in Antonio Conte’s Italy squad for Euro 2016.

“Of course, I was also hoping for a call to the Italy team. I worked towards this dream until the last moment, but I’m happy to have made my debut with the Under-21 side and to know that Luigi Di Biagio is counting on me,” he added.