The former England international spent three years with AC Milan between 1984 and 1987, where he was named in the Serie A Team of the Year and also won the Serie A Young Player of the Year.
Hateley, speaking with Tribalfootball.com, recalled Milan's battles against Napoli and Diego Maradona: “He won Player of the Year and I got Young Player of the Year in my first year.
“We had good results against them and not so good results against them, but we were always in the race with Napoli.”
On Maradona, Hateley joked: “Yeah, he wasn't bad! All one-footed. He was okay — a decent player, let’s put it that way...!”
Expanding on that period in football, when Serie A was head-and-shoulders the best and most glamourous competition in the world, Hateley continued: "All the world-class stars were there.
“Zico was there, Maradona was there, (Zibi) Boniek was there. Falcao... Verona won the league that year (1984/85).
“It was a fantastic league to play in.”
After Milan, Hateley went onto to win Ligue Une with AS Monaco before going onto to lift SIX Scottish Premier League titles with Rangers. And Hateley credits his time with Milan under legendary coach Nils Leidholm as key to his development as a centre-forward.
He added, “He taught me how to be a European number nine.
“He stopped me tackling the full-back straight away, not running outside the centre-half. He was absolutely brilliant for me.
"We'd walk through the positioning. Not run. Just walk. He was so laid back, a legend.
"He taught me everything about being a number nine in Europe."
- Mark Hateley was speaking Tribalfootball on behalf of WhichBookie