Malick Thiaw has established himself with the Italians after his move from Schalke to AC Milan. His former S04 coach Norbert Elgert praises – and feels reminded.
In recent months, Malick Thiaw has made a steep rise. In the preseason, the 21-year-old played with FC Schalke 04 in the 2nd Bundesliga, and now he is a starter for AC Milan and will face SSC Napoli with the Italians this Wednesday (9 p.m.) in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
It’s a development that doesn’t come by chance for Schalke’s U19 coach Norbert Elgert. “He definitely has what it takes to remain a regular at Milan as well, and he has a good chance of becoming a permanent fixture in the senior squad in the next few years,” the coach told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland. Thiaw is still very young and has a lot of development potential, Elgert added. “Above all, he wants to get better every day.”
The 66-year-old gave Thiaw the finishing touches on his way to becoming a professional from 2018 to 2020 in Schalke’s senior youth team. He sees parallels with a former S04 talent who also ventured abroad a few years ago and has long since established himself at a top European club: Joel Matip, Champions League winner and English champion with Liverpool FC.
“He reminds me a lot of Joel,” said Elgert. “What was and is important is their attitude, their willingness to make an effort and their diligence. The ability and the will to work hard every day on their talent. Because talent is also a muscle that needs to be trained diligently every day. “
After his summer switch from Gelsenkirchen to Milan, Thiaw initially experienced a bumpy start. Thiaw had to wait until last November for his first starting eleven appearance. He wasn’t even entered for the Champions League in the first half of the season.
That changed at the start of the new year: Thiaw was given the chance in the round of 16 against Tottenham Hotspurs, playing 90 minutes in both the first and second legs. Milan went scoreless in both games – and Thiaw was showered with compliments after his hard-nosed performances against superstars Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son, including from Milan defensive legend Paolo Maldini.
Elgert also praises his former protégé: “Malick anticipates really well and understands the game. He’s quick, strong in heading and tackling, has a good overview, a no-frills buildup of play.” In addition, the 2021 European U21 champion is “mentally and physically very resilient.” Qualities that will certainly benefit him in the quarterfinals against Napoli.