INTER PLAYER | Five interesting facts about Milan Skriniar

MILAN - Milan Skriniar's game is one of grit, determination, timing and competitiveness – his challenges spark applause in the way goals do. On the pitch, whoever comes up against the Slovakian defender knows they have their work cut out. His performances with Inter this season have often earned him a place among the man of the match candidates, notably a monumental display at Anfield. To get to know the Nerazzurri's number 37 even better, here are five questions and answers from an interview he gave for the club’s matchday programme this season.

THE BREAKTHROUGH

Milan Skriniar was born in Žiar nad Hronom, a town of about 20,000 inhabitants in the heart of Slovakia, on 11 February 1995. His first steps in the world of football were in the academy of his hometown team, before moving to MSK Zilina, one of the most prestigious clubs in Slovakian football. At the age of 17, he made his debut:

“I’d wanted to be a footballer ever since I was a child and when I was on the pitch I always gave everything, in every challenge. The moment I realised I could become a professional was when I made my first team debut for Žilina in Slovakia.”

GOALS AND CRUCIAL TACKLES

Central to the Nerazzurri defence, Skriniar is also ready to contribute in attack. He has scored three goals in the league this season and also bagged his first in the Champions League:

“My best goal-saving challenge? Of the most recent ones I’d say the one against Shakhtar. If I can score it's always nice – even though I'm a defender, I like to help the team when it happens. I happily recall my first goal in these colours, in the 2-0 win against Crotone – it was my fourth appearance.”

CONTESTS IN TRAINING 

“It's an honour to wear this shirt and represent these colours. In training we face some good challenges – we have strong forwards...everyone has different qualities, I'm lucky to play with them, rather than against them.”

YOU NEVER FORGET YOUR FIRST GAME

“I’ve played in so many big games wearing this shirt. The first match is usually the one you never forget – for me it was my debut against Fiorentina on 20 August 2017, my first 90 minutes on the pitch as an Inter player, ending with a 3-0 win.”

GREATEST MOMENT WITH THE NATIONAL TEAM

Having played at every level of the Slovakia youth set-up, Skriniar made his debut for the senior team on 27 May 2016, in a 3-1 friendly win over Georgia. He’s gone on to make 51 appearances for his country. 

“Our first match at Euro 2020 was one of the most exciting games I’ve played in for Slovakia. We beat Poland and I scored the goal to make it 2-1. I took down the ball cleared by the opposing defence, then struck right footed into the corner to the right of Wojciech Szczęsny. It was wonderful!”