October 1–12, 2017
Milan Martinez Villa had finally found a moment to breathe.
After his thunderous start to the 2017/18 season—highlighted by jaw-dropping performances against Lazio and Roma—he was granted a much-needed break. Vincenzo Montella, clearly impressed but cautious with his young gem, allowed Milan time off until October 12th, when training for the Derby della Madonnina would resume in full intensity.
The spotlight, however, didn't dim with the break. Instead, it followed him everywhere.
His Instagram had exploded from 11k to over 230k followers seemingly overnight. There were clips of his backheel assist to André Silva on loop, slow-motion shots of his 84th-minute free kick against Roma surfacing with captions like "The Boy Wonder strikes again." Italian outlets hailed him as "Il Nuovo Artista di Milano"—The New Artist of Milan.
Sky Italia ran a segment titled:
"Milan Martinez Villa: Stats of a Future Icon"
Serie A Apps: 7
Goals: 7
Assists: 8
Passing Accuracy: 88%
Key Passes per Game: 3.1
Duels Won per Game: 7.6
Minutes Played: 476
On the Capocannoniere (Golden Boot) race, he was 2nd behind Ciro Immobile. In assists, he was now first. Not bad for a 16-year-old kid.
Despite the noise, Milan stayed grounded.
Mornings started with 5 AM jogs in the quiet suburbs of Milan. No cameras. No screaming fans. Just the sound of his shoes tapping the sidewalk and the hum of his playlist—usually a mix of reggae, Brazilian funk, and a few surprise tracks from Billie Eilish.
He'd often be found at Milanello by 9 AM, not for required training, but by choice. Free kicks. First touches. Finishing drills. He'd instruct a youth goalkeeper to join him for penalty simulations. "Make it hard for me," Milan would laugh, after each save.
Even during rest, his obsession with growth persisted.
His phone buzzed constantly. Sponsorships. Interviews. Agents.
That's when his mother stepped in.
"You're still a child, Milan. You need someone to protect your future," she said over FaceTime from Jamaica, eyes sharp yet warm.
Through it all, there was Billie.
They hung out again on October 4th. This time, it wasn't just them. A few friends joined. They went to a small gallery in the Navigli district. Milan didn't care much for art, but watching Billie light up while explaining color theory was worth every second.
"Your mind's weird," he teased.
"So is yours. You dribble like the ball owes you money," she shot back, and everyone cracked up.
They snapped a goofy photo that day—her pulling his locs, him crossing his eyes. By nightfall, it was all over Instagram.
"Is this Milan's new girlfriend?"
"Boy Wonder and Pop Star?"
"Eilish FC when?"
Milan refused to comment, but privately, he loved the buzz.
On October 8th, they met again—this time for something quiet. A park picnic with takeout pasta and soft drinks. They talked about fame, pressure, goals. Billie opened up about her debut album, "Don't Smile at Me," and how her world was changing.
"Sometimes, I feel like I'm being swallowed," she admitted.
Milan nodded. "Same. But football makes me feel...free."
They sat in silence for a while, a rare calm between two rising storms.
—
October 12 arrived faster than expected.
Milan stood outside Milanello's main gates at 7:55 AM, hoodie up, beats in his ears, juggling a ball casually with his knees. Lucas Biglia was the first to greet him.
"Boy Wonder returns," Biglia smirked.
"Chill, bro. You still owe me lunch for that dummy I sold you," Milan shot back, making the older players laugh.
Inside the training pitch, things were serious. Montella blew his whistle with urgency.
"Derby prep starts now! Inter won't care that you're 16. They'll hit hard. They'll press. This is war."
Milan nodded, adjusting his boots.
The whole team looked sharper. Bonucci was barking orders in the back. Franck Kessié was clattering into tackles. Cutrone and Suso were sharp as blades.
In a tight training game, Milan slipped past Calabria with a nutmeg and curled a shot past Donnarumma.
"Yow!" Donnarumma shouted, grinning. "Stop that, kid!"
The energy was electric. You could feel it in the air—October 15th was going to be massive.
As Milan left the field, sweat-soaked and smiling, the press outside was already snapping pictures.
One reporter yelled, "Are you ready for Inter, Milan?!"
He turned, smiled, and said, "I was born ready."
—