Milan adjusted the strap of his boots, standing by the San Siro tunnel bathed in summer light. At sixteen, this felt more dream than reality. Few youth players break into AC Milan—and even fewer explode onto the stage.
"Nervous?" a calm voice asked beside him.
Milan turned to see Gianluigi Donarumma, the towering keeper who'd debuted at just sixteen himself.
"Only a little," Milan admitted. "More excited."
"Good just remember they'll test you. Hard. Not because they hate you. Because they see something."
On the pitch, Vincenzo Montella drilled them hard. "Faster—move, think, fight!" he roared.
The pace was electric. No longer was this the U-19 setup where Milan could dance through defenders at will. Here every pass had to be perfect. Every touch sharp. Every second mattered.
During a rondo, Leonardo Bonucci barged in stealing the ball with a smirk. "Welcome to the big boys."
Milan chuckled, brushing him off. On the next play, he nutmegged bonucci with a sly grin.
"Cheeky little..." Bonucci muttered, trying not to smile.
Montella stopped the drill. "Again! But watch the lines! Good movement, Milan.
After training, Suso shook his head in admiration. "He's like a ghost. Blink, and he's gone."
Whispers took hold in the dressing room: "Boy Wonder," "Kid with Ice Feet," "Young Blood." "Phantom," someone muttered, but it was still quiet—no headlines yet.
---
A few days later, Milan walked into the dressing room in the training facility with his hoodie up, head low until someone tapped him on the back.
"You're in the squad" Cutrone grinned. "First team bench. This weekend. Against Cutrone."
Milan blinked. "Wait what? Seriously?"
Cutrone held up the team sheet on his phone. Milan's name was there:
#72 - Milan Martinez Villa
When he called his mom, her voice trembled with joy.
"You've worked for this. Stay calm, stay smart. I'll be watching, Milan."
Game day had arrived: Matchday 1 – AC Milan vs Crotone. The San Siro was electric. The rebuild under new ownership had brought big names: Bonucci, Çalhanoğlu, André Silva, Riccardo Rodríguez, Franck Kessié, Biglia, and steady talent like Bonaventura, Calabria, and Cutrone were all in the starting XI. Milan took his seat on the bench, wearing #72, the jersey assigned to him that season .
Riccardo Trevisani the commentator began:
"Crotone visiting AC Milan today. And interestingly, a 16-year-old makes the bench—Milan Martinez Villa. Keep an eye out for him."
By the 70th minute the scoreboard read: AC Milan 0 - 0 Crotone Montella growled on the sideline, pacing like a tiger.
"Warm up," he barked. Milan didn't hesitate.
In the 78th minute, the fourth official held up the board:
> "Coming on... number 72, Milan Martinez Villa!"
The crowd clapped politely, mostly curious.
His first touch was a flick. Second—a spin. Third—he glided past a Crotone fullback like wind, cut inside, and thread a clinical through ball to Patrick Cutrone, who hit the crossbar.
Milan grunted at the wasted chance.
"Who is this kid?" Riccardo Trevisani muttered. "He's slicing through Crotone like paper."
In the 82nd minute, he received a pass from Biglia near the left wing, cut inside with two defenders closing in, and laid off a perfect through ball to Cutrone, who slotted it home.
Goal! AC Milan 1–0 Crotone.
On air, Riccardo Trevisani exhaled in awe:
"And would you believe it! The 16year old debutant—Milan Martinez Villa—with the assist!"
Three minutes later, A long ball from Kessié found him on the edge of the box. He controlled it on the bounce, skipped past the last man, and rifled it into the far corner with his left foot.
GOAL! AC Milan 2–0 Crotone.
Trevisani stuttered, overwhelmed: "Oh my word! On his debut! An assist and a goal! Remember this name: Milan Martinez Villa!"
Final score: AC Milan 2 - Crotone 0
---
In the tunnel, Bonucci offered a rare compliment: "Well done, Boy Wonder."
In the dressing room, teammates crowded him.
Cutrone laughed, "Kid's a cheat code."
Çalhanoğlu nodded approvingly: "Silky feet."
Bonaventura clapped him on the shoulder: "Do that twice, you're official."
The media couldn't get enough. Gazzetta dello Sport headlined: "Beginnings of a Legend? 16 Year Old Debutant with Goal and Assist Steals Show." Sky Italia ran clips of his strike and pass all evening.
Exhausted yet buzzing, Milan lay in bed that night. For the first time, the weight felt real—and thrilling.
His journey had truly begun.