Linked with a move away from the San Siro over the summer, Gilardino said last night: "I'm used to it by now. At Parma, there was always transfer talk because people wanted me to join a big club. Now I'm a Milan player and there's transfer talk for other reasons.

"But for now, I am doing my talking on the pitch."

He added: "I am now more centred. I've learned to separate my true friends from the hangers on. I have grown, matured.

"If people want to boo me, so be it. I know the true fans of Milan are those that cheer us from the first minute to the last."

Asked about the race for the Scudetto, Gilardino said: "Milan are as strong as Inter. Then there is also Roma. After that, you must look at Juventus and Fiorentina. It will be an open championship, rich in emotion."