Football Daily - In Focus with Tammy Abraham

Episode Date: December 7, 2024

In this special episode of the Football Daily Nedum Onuoha travels to Italy to have a typical Milanese dinner with AC Milan striker Tammy Abraham to discuss his many career highlights, relationship with Jose Mourinho and how life abroad has changed him as a player and person. Tammy chats to Nedum about the importance of embracing Milan and how he has found settling in to a new environment, including the fashion!

BBC Sounds music radio podcasts so when I think Milan as well I think about fashion yeah and I imagine that's a big thing

for you as well you're quite a stylish cat absolutely I was lucky enough to to visit you know the fashion week and I've heard there's a good place to do some shopping

around here since it's the basically capital for that there is so let's go around come on come spend some money on me you're just a

you're just a massive star, man. It's just nuts. We've made our way to a beautiful Milanese restaurant overlooking the Duomo Cathedral. We start with the saffron risotto. My first advice. Wow, that looks very good. Do you mind if I share it for you in your place please please I feel special it

has to be it's it I normally get served like this everywhere you go pretty much okay that's it I just need a little bit in the main dishes so that you can have a second round okay that's the meal enjoy meal thank you good i see you ready i think i'm more than ready but what i really want to know is how is milan treating you milan has been amazing it's you know i couldn't ask for a better start um settled in pretty quickly found a home home. It's been good. We haven't had much time to go around, do some shopping, sightseeing. But so far, it's been great.

And what's been important for you in terms of settling in? What at your stage in life, career, makes you feel like somewhere at home? I think just trying to embrace the culture, trying to learn the culture. And that's something I told myself when I first came out here that I need to do. You know, just enjoy being one of the people, you know, and try and not stick out, just try and settle in. And that's what I've been doing.

Why did you think that way, though? Because I feel like as somebody in their early 20s, you'd think that, I think that you'd be more resistant to that. That feels like quite a mature decision to make. Why was that so important to you? I think the decision of, you know, moving out here was a brave one. You know, many people like to, you know, move out their comfort zone and experience new things, which, you know, I was ready for.

I think I got to a stage in my life which I had to get ready for mentally which stages this I think just moving out here you know and first I was privileged enough to move to Rome you know obviously now Milan so I just told myself I just want to you know look back on my career after I finish and be like wow I really lived in places like Rome Milan and really embrace the culture like Rome, Milan, and really embraced the culture. That does feel again like a really grown up decision and culturally I think within English football that's changed more to where more people are travelling abroad.

Yeah. But that first step, that's what I really want to know about, like why Rome, why Italy? I think it was a decision which was not only just decided by me. Okay. You know, my family, my parents, my friends. I think they kind of encouraged the idea. Why do you think that was? I think just my whole life I grew up in London.

My whole life was just, all I knew was London. So it was kind of nice to spread my wings a little bit, experience something new and I just felt like it was the right time. The right time. And I imagine given the success you had at Rome, that decision was vindicated pretty soon. I don't regret one thing. I loved it. It's been amazing. And now that you've been in Italy, I think it's for three years now. Yeah.

How different a person and a player are you compared to when you first arrived? I'd say I'm mentally stronger. Okay. I think that's one thing I was lacking a bit when I was younger. Really? I was quite weak-minded. Tell me more about that because I don't think weak-minded is right, as you say. But what makes you look back at yourself and think that you were different like that?

I think how I deal with situations has improved. You know, setbacks. You know, when you're young, you just want everything to go well. You want to do everything right, and, you know, in life, it's not always like this. I think now I've learned and taught myself ways to deal with setbacks, to deal with situations. That's definitely one thing I've improved on. Is it a case of you had to go through those setbacks

to understand how to deal with it better? Absolutely. Which setbacks are you speaking about in particular? The main one would probably be the injury I had last season. You know, I think that's the longest I've been out of the game. What was it? I did my ACL and some other things as well. It was a hard situation.

I remember it was the last game of the season. I already had my holidays booked. I was mentally ready to go let my hair down and just enjoy the summer and then the injury happened in the last couple of minutes of the game, which was hard to deal with. Seeing all my mates going on holiday was the first difficult situation, but I think just when football came back, not doing pre-season with a team, you know, start of the season, you're missing out. And, you know, it was just hard trying to get back to how I was and better.

I think just, you know, through injury, no one tells you how hard it is until you actually go through these patches. And, yeah, I had my family, you know know I was lucky enough to have my kid as well so I think that kept me going and kept me mentally sharp I can I can imagine that being the case to be honest and also during that tough time did it feel like you were going through the rehab away from home or did it feel like you were home and this is just you going through rehab has just been a normal part of professional football I think I felt like i was home more okay i've got to see my boy grow up you know he's he's one but he's he's massive now and i think those are the kind of things you kind of take for granted when you're playing week in week out you kind of miss certain steps which i was lucky enough to to experience and like i

said i think that's what helps me get through through the recovery, being out of the game so long. So what I want to know now then, this is what I've been desperate to hear because I've seen for the last few years so many players going and playing their trade abroad, especially younger players now. What was that initially like? Because, you know, we've moved from club to club domestically, but when you go to somewhere new, it's a completely different set of players, different language, different set of fans.

Like how long did it take for you to fully feel like you understood it, whether it was the club, the players or just the country itself? Soon as I got off the plane and arrived here. And why? How does that work? I think, you know, I didn't expect this situation. I didn't expect to get off the plane and, you know, see so many fans, so many people to welcome me because it was so last minute. And I just remember I got off the plane and they told me, oh, there's supporters outside, you know, wave, smile, do whatever and, you know, just embrace it.

And I remember walking through the airport door and seeing so many supporters that welcomed me, so many passionate fans. And it was just, you know, I couldn't describe the feeling inside me. And just putting on the shirt for the first time, you know, stepping out in the Olimpico. You could hear the fans, you know, everyone was happy for me to be there. I just felt like one of them straight away as soon as I touched down and that kind of helped me in my football.

Yeah, it's given me goosebumps to be fair, thinking about that. But how about then the details of it? So you arrive and you know you're a good player, but now you're learning the game with a different group of players in a different style of play, you could say. And I'd imagine most people at Rome didn't speak English? They tried to with me. They tried to? Yeah they tried. Okay so how how long did it take for you to adapt and sort of fit in with the group from that normal footballing standpoint would you say? My teammates were probably a big part of how helping me settle in quicker than you know I expected. You know it's a good bunch of boys. They made me feel welcome.

They helped me find a house. And I was lucky enough to have, obviously, Jose Mourinho there as well, who was obviously new to the job as well. So I think my teammates are a big help to that and the fans. Like I said, passionate fans and amazing fans helped everyone settle

in. Any teammates in particular you want to give a mention to? Chris Moulin helped me. Yeah. Rick Carstop as well. Pellegrini, the captain. I'd say pretty much all of them. Yeah.

Moulin and Moulin. Can make a big difference, can't it? And obviously now you've reached the point where you will try dishes other than, you know, simple ones back home. Back in. Yeah, you'd never be such a mess. But it's lovely. where you will try dishes other than simple ones back home. Back in. Yeah, you'd never be such a nerd. It's lovely.

I'd love to know who was the one that was sort of showing you Italian culture and do you feel you can be over here in Italy and not really embrace it as such, especially within a team environment? I think you have to. It's one of them things where you would love to do it whilst you're here. You know, the food, like we're trying now, just learning the culture, you know, experiencing it and taking it all in. You know, there's not many times you get to visit Rome, Milan and, you know, places like this. So once you do, I always say, you know, experience it the best you can. And now you're here in Milan.

Obviously, it's a different city to Rome. Is it different in every single way or are there similarities between the two? There's certain similarities, but of course, you know, there's differences also. I think Rome is more historic and Milan is more, you know, fashionable and it's more new, it's more similar to London in a way.

But it does have its similarities. And how about the fact that on this team now you have somebody in Fikayo who you've known for 20 plus years. You have Ruben Loftus-Cheek as well, to name but another. Did it feel less new than when you went to Rome for that first time? Yes. You know, obviously players that I've played with before, obviously here in Milan. But also I had the chance to play against Milan in the years I was at Rome. So it was kind of, you know, I forgot how they call it.

It was kind of familiar. Yeah. And then, you know, coming here, I knew a few of the boys before, so they've helped me settle in quick. My friends have helped me settle in, and, you know, it's just been amazing. So would you say there's a shift in terms of the way football's working? Because to have three Brits in the same team in Italy, it feels quite rare. Does it feel like something's changing?

I feel like definitely something's changing. Before, I don't remember so many British players going out to play abroad, playing in places like Eerly, Bundesliga and so forth. And now I feel like players want to do this. Players have seen it happen and obviously players have seen it go well as well. So it's good. Like I said, I grew up with these boys and to be here doing it in a big stage in a club like Milan is a dream come true. Do you think you might be inspiring the next generation to try and make a move over here as well? I hope so. Like I said, it was never an easy decision. It will never be an easy decision to move away from home.

But I always feel like, you know, never be scared to spread your wings and to try new things. And you say it's not an easy decision to leave home, which is fair. Apparently you've got an interesting story about why you did end up leaving. It features maybe Juan Jose Mourinho, is that correct? Absolutely, yeah. Go on, tell me more. It was, you know, I just remember,

I think I was on the PlayStation with my friends, and I received a call, and, you know, when I don't have a number saved, I've rarely ever answered a phone. So this one time I answered, just remember I picked up I said hello and then I just heard out hello Tammy it's Jose. You know the way he speaks. And I just remember I turned off my PlayStation. I was like boys I'll call you guys back. I was just the phone and uh the first words he said to me was would you want to stay in rainy england or come to sunny rome and i just i'll get back to you i'll

get back to you yeah i remember just running upstairs telling my parents uh the news and you know calling my agents and and then no and i think we came to the decision pretty quickly and we thought Rome was the best to go. Yeah. And you've actually played with some pretty big-name managers across your career, haven't you? Just to name but a few, you've got Mourinho, you've got Tuchel, you've got Conte as well. How important are those guys in terms of shaping

young players' careers, would you say? I'd say, you know, to have great managers like this with big personalities help. What does that mean big personality by the way? I've heard people say it but what does it mean in your world? Just someone who is confident in their work, someone who believes in what they believe in and tries to pass that message down to the players. Jose was one for me one of the best coaches I had um yeah just he he he was a player he was a manager who always believed in what he believed in and I think as a player you feel that you feel the energy and you kind of buy into it and that's what we've done and you mentioned messaging there yeah one way to pass over a message is to be able to know the language okay so do you think if you were to speak in Italian to people now they'd understand exactly

what you're trying to say and if not how long did that take yes they would um I think my Italians it's improved a lot um I'm better at understanding and speaking, but when I do speak, you know, they tend to understand. I think for me it was the case of, you know, you live here now, you embrace the culture, so try and speak the language, which is very difficult. Would you say it's the most important thing to do when you come over to the country? Yes, absolutely. Just to help you in everyday life, you know. Of course, a lot of people speak English also, but it's nice to communicate in Italian as well. The Football Daily Podcast on BBC Sounds.

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The Football Daily Podcast on BBC Sounds. Wow, wow, wow. Look at this. Here's the beer chop, mellami style. Wow, that looks really nice. But then I suppose when you have stuff like this, realistically, would you miss home?

Like, do you ever miss home? Or is this home? Grazie. Enjoy your meal. Of course, you do get times where you do miss home. I do miss my mom's morning pancakes. Morning pancakes? Yep, shout out to momsy, by the way.

But not really, you know, there's, I think every type of food you want is how it is. Well how about going beyond food then? How about just general life? Because you are a London boy, self-proclaimed, you know, born and bred there I believe. Is there anything you miss about London which you say you don't get while you're here or get while you're in Italy overall? Of course there are times you do miss home. I think just knowing where to go sometimes. Okay. That could, unless you know people which fortunately I do, you know, that help me, that recommend places to eat and to go visit and it does get hard sometimes not knowing where to go or what to do that's one thing i'll say about missing out about home and how about say some of the friends and stuff that you have do they ever come over here or is it a case of this they try to um they do come to watch games so that's important for me to you know stay close

with my friends and family. Do you ever go back to England? I do when I get the chance. International break, when I do get a couple of days free, I do like to go back home. It's always nice to catch up with friends. And what do you do? You say catch up with friends but what do you do? Don't tell me it's playing on your Playstation or something like that. No, that's during the week. Okay. We like to go out to eat.

Okay. Places like what now? There's a few. Because to be fair, I've got to say, if that was me and you coming back for it, I'd expect you to raise the roof now, raise the level. Is that what you do? I try to, but it's very hard topping Italian food. Okay. I think if you try to compare, you might get let down. So just try and enjoy as much as possible.

I do like to go to a few restaurants. You know, being in Novikov and trying the Italian side in Novikov as well. It's good. But it's not Italian-Italian? Nah. I can't believe you've been fully converted like this you know. I know. Actually no I can believe that because that's basically everybody that tries it. But how about Mumsy then? So she's Nigerian and how would she feel if she heard her son talking about how Italian food is where it's at now? Because home food is surely still number one. To be fair when she does come over she does like to eat Italian food okay she does tell me to try get more Nigerian food down me but that's a fact actually yeah it's hard to find um yeah but yeah I do miss it sometimes okay and how about say English football overall do you keep an eye on it at all or do you just focus on Serie A now I think I'm lucky enough to that they show every game here. Okay.

Well, most games. So I do watch a lot of the Premier League every weekend. So it's nice. Is there something where you can see in the future you possibly going back to the Premier League? I think in life you can never say never. You know, if someone would have told me I would be playing for Roma or playing for Milan,

you know, a couple of years back, I would probably never expect it. So you can never say never in life. Football has no home. So, you know, we'll see. That's a good line, you know. I've never heard that one before. My agent told me that one. I think I might use that one going forward. So what do you think of this veal then? Because I think it's delicious. Spoiler alert. I've had it a few times.

I'm kind of used to it now. Obviously you're new to it. No, no, no, my friend. That's not true. Milanese veal is something which I've tasted all around the world. It's my first time tasting it in Milan. And to be honest, it is delicious it's really delicious but to be honest I'm privileged though because because I don't play anymore my diet does it matter probably not but how about you then from going to from being in England

to now being in Italy what is I won't say a footballer's diet. I'll say what's your diet here in Milan? I do love my food, believe it or not. So, you know, I try to base it off, you know, when I have a game, after a game, before a game, training. If it was training, it was difficult. You know, I kind of measure it off that. And my chef helps me do that. What's your cheat meal?

Oh, my cheat meal. All of a sudden, the same pizza just doesn't hit the same one. It's just a standard dish, isn't it? No. Actually, although it's not in Milan. It's not in Milan. I correct myself. My cheat meal.

I don't think I have a cheat meal. I feel like my chef does know what I like. I told you before. Tell us more, tell us more. Pasta pesto, you know, he does spoil me sometimes with a bit of mac and cheese. I told him I liked it, so. A few dishes, nothing's coming into my head right now, but he does know my cheat days and what I do like. Is it harder or easier to say indulge and sort of maybe go a bit too far because back home we've got the choice of anything and everything basically being delivered to your

door as well. True. Would you say it's easier to have a better way of eating here or would you say it's harder? I'd say definitely harder I think there's there's too much to choose from okay um you know so many good food out here so it is i'll say harder okay so now that you are a long way away from your london home and you just have your family with you around here would you say it's easier to just focus on football is that the sort of priority that you wanted to have or is it similar to back home just with say fewer people i think it's it's similar but it's different at the same time um you know when you to back home, just with, say, fewer people? I think it's similar, but it's different at the same time. You know, when you're back home, you know more things to do. But here, I'm the kind of person that I don't really like to go out too much.

I do, from time to time, like to go sightseeing, whether that's shopping or eating. But most days, my missus always kills me for it, but most days I like to go sightseeing, whether that's shopping or eating. But most days, you know, my missus always kills me for it, but most days I like to stay inside. I like to recover from whether it's hard training or it's a game and, you know, just kind of, you know, enjoy family time. But also kind of have in the back of my mind that I need to be ready for, you know, the next training or the next match. And that's a routine I've kind of had to get into.

Right, so talk me through this video here, because it looks like somebody in your family has got some serious skills. Ah, what can I say? You know, it's always, it's, it melts my heart seeing my boy, you know, loving what his dad loves and, you know, for me, he can do whatever he wants and be whatever he wants to be in the world but just to see him love the ball and love playing football from such a young age is it's always nice to see as a child as having a child changed you absolutely um when i used to hear people say this i never knew what they were talking about

but just having your own child you know makes you realise I've got more responsibilities. I've got someone who looks up to me, someone to love, someone to look after. So definitely changes you as a person. And you're hoping this one plays football as well? Absolutely. You do? Yeah. For anyone in particular?

Oh, that's his choice. Just love the game as much as your dad loved it. Do you think there's enough time for him to be playing when you're old enough as well? I hope so. I think there's a man in Japan still playing in his 50s. I saw that as well. Maybe you could be the first. Nah. By 50 I just want to have my feet up.

That's fair. I'll hold my feet up. That's fair, that's fair. I'll hold my hands up. That's fair. My son looking after me. That's fair. So in terms of style then, were you somebody that before you came to this league used to class yourself as being quite stylish? Being?

I'm still stylish. Oh my gosh, people like this honestly. I'd like to believe so. I think I appreciate more styles now compared to how it was before. I told you before I was more of a clothes book. I only liked what I liked and stuck with it. I think now it's understanding and seeing that fashion is a way of people expressing themselves. And I've seen that with many people. Some of my close friends, like Trevor Chaloba, I watched him grow up and I watched him express his way of fashion by the way he dresses.

And I think that's something I've grown into more. And what's your style? How would you describe yourself? And do you believe you are the best dressed at AC Milan? Ooh, ooh. It's a hard one you know I think it's just based off opinion listen if you can't say yes straight away no no I would say I'm definitely up there 100% I'd say Liao has good taste as well there's a you know, there's a few that will surprise you. Have good taste. Okay and how did it feel then going to Milan Fashion Week? Was that a real opening experience? It was, you know, it's, I haven't, I didn't get to, I only just moved there so I didn't get to experience it as much as I

could but you know seeing how much people come to Milan and enjoy things like Fashion Week and get to express themselves. Fashion is big and it's amazing to see. So has Italy made you more stylish or are you still the same guy but in a different country? I think I've always been stylish. Oh my gosh, honestly, people like that. I think now I'm starting to dig into different aspects.

I think I could do it all. I could do it all. I think I could. You could do it all I could do it all I think I could I could do it all oh gosh yeah go on then so tell me how would you how would you describe

your style it's a tough question but I think there's an answer in there somewhere I would like to say I'm clean you know I'm luckily I'm tall

I'm slim you know there's a lot of things that I can pull off I think I've got it all and who you must have seen somebody that inspired you at some point.

Was it a former teammate? Was it someone on TV? How did you get to this point? I think for me it was just trying things out. Like I told you, I've started to dig in more. I've started to understand different styles and try it on myself and see if I like it, I've started to dig in more. I've started to understand different styles and try it on myself and see if I like it, how it feels. I'm that kind of person. I just feel I need to be clean and I like it.

Do you ever get it wrong? I don't think so. When's the last time you got it wrong? I don't think I ever. Oh, my word. My missus could tell me, but I don't think I've. If she hasn't told me, then I guess I'm doing a good job. You sound like a real fashionable person because you do not doubt yourself one bit.

So fair play to you and yeah, I guess Italy is ripping off on you as well. So how do you feel then when you see other Brits playing in Europe, whether it's in Italy, whether it's in Germany, does it make you feel proud at all? Absolutely. I think it's always nice to see, especially someone like Adam Odolefman, who we came from the same area, both South East London, and to see each other grow and grow into the men we are today. Moved to Italy and playing in the same league and he's on fire right now, so it's always lovely to see, catching up with the boys as well when you can and you know it's just nice is there an element of competition there as well or is it all we're all friends now i think in football there's always going to be competition you know i think you know good or bad um you know for example i could use him and to inspire myself and you know he's doing well and

i also want to do well and you know i think there's always going to be competition there. So how important is Fakaio Tomori to you? Where do I start? I think we've known each other now. I think this is our 18th or 19th year. I think it is. Something like that. We grew up together.

Our parents are close with each other and you know it's just nice to see each other grow up and become the men we are now and you know we had different journeys in life and but we've always somehow just come back together um i did enjoy our battles against each other and now again we're on the same side so it's been a journey you know we've seen the goods we've seen the bads but he's he's been a massive help in my life in general. You know, it's always been supportive, like I have of him as well, and it's nice to finally be on the same team again. So if I was to ask him who's won the most battles between the two of you, who would he say? If I remember correctly, I think me. I think I'm still one up on him.

Just one? I think me you know I think I'm still one up on him just one I think just one you know we had the playoff final against each other and I think Europa League last year as well against each other and you know now we're on the same side you know I'll take my victory and move on your Chelsea youth team ends up being a very very significant one not just for English football but for European football yeah back then

did you think that that would be the case and which sort of players are we talking about here I think I saw a post the other day on TikTok you know a team forward of us

came up with do we wonder UEFA Youth League and I think the caption was best academy ever and question mark and I just remember reminiscing and just looking at some of the players there you know we're playing today you know Tom Solanke, Ole Einar

you know Fikayo which we spoke of so many people probably forgetting Ruben was also there as well and it was just nice to see us grow, I think we knew we were good players from young I think there was one game I think we were losing to Aston Villa, I remember this game we were losing 1-0 and I remember just coming to the changing room

we had so many great players and we were just looking around and saying let's go out and win this game, I think we came out and I think we won that game 12-1 or something like that. Oh my goodness gracious. I think it made Sky Sports News or something like that. And I just remember just thinking, we're such a good team. I think we're all hungry, we're all passionate.

We just wanted to make it. We wanted to do well. And it goes to show today why we're doing so well. What's so special about Chelsea's youth teams? Because I think year in, year out, they seem to be producing a ton of players and being very competitive at that youth level what do you think it is about that academy makes them so good i think you know give credit to jim fraser and neil bath they've done and they've been doing a great job i think just spotting young talents developing them and, and giving them that belief that they're unstoppable. And I think as a kid, that's very important

to have that confidence and belief about yourself. You know, the sky is not just the limit. You can go beyond, and it's always nice. Do you know if it's still the same way now, even though, say, the club has changed ownership and the like, or are things changing that? I haven't been keeping track, but pretty sure it's pretty much going the same way. Like I said, it's been a great academy.

They've developed so many great players. So I'd like to hope it's still carrying on. And if I could be greedy for a second, I look at Chelsea now. Do you think they're finishing top four? Do you think Chelsea are legit this year? They have a good team. Do you think they're finishing top four? Do you think Chelsea are legit this year? They have a good team. You know, players like Cole Palmer and Nickerson Jackson.

You know, I have a couple of friends there also and I would like to see them finish in the top four because they have something like 50 players or something like that who are all good players. So they can do it. It's possible. Okay. And then maybe next year you can play them in the Champions League.

Hopefully. That would be nice. Yeah. Hey! Here we go. Ladies and gentlemen, I leave you there. It's powdered sugar,

the custard, and the cannoli. Wow. Okay. This is a bit of me. Okay. Enjoy. Gracias.

Thank you. That is delicious. But you need to be careful. You're still playing. You need to look after yourself. So I'll have yours. No worries, I'll burn it off tomorrow. Just go. Well, that's been thoroughly delicious. And it's been absolutely incredible catching up with you as well.

And I'd happily do this again because there's a lot of food involved and good people so thank you very much man thank you thank you The Football Daily Podcast I'm Ian Dennis John Murray

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