AC Milan defender Fikayo Tomori says he's proud of his success in Italy.

The on-loan Chelsea stopper is preparing to face Manchester United in the Europa League on Thursday.

“Before I came here I spoke to Paolo Maldini," Tomori told The Times newspaper.

“Obviously I knew it was a big club and he said it was a big club, but when I arrived and went to the museum at Casa Milan, and saw all the Ballons d'Or here, the pictures of the greats who have gone before, then the seven Champions League trophies, you really do feel it… Like, wow.

“When I go to the training ground and see the pictures and names on the wall of people who have set records, like [Andriy] Shevchenko, Maldini, Kaka and [Clarence] Seedorf, and I'm thinking that they've all been here, they've all sat in these changing rooms, played on these pitches. All those moments fill you with pride. You breathe it in."

Also on Maldini, he added: "You feel his presence. As much as I'm playing for myself and for the team and the manager, I want to impress him.

“It's like if you were an attacker and one day Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi was your sporting director and saying these words for you. It's crazy.

“Before every game, he talks and says come on and says well done after. If I haven't played well he's still there saying well done."