“He’s a quality player” – Stefan Pioli heaps praise on a rejuvenated Samuel Chukwueze

Super Eagles and A.C. Milan winger, Samuel Chukwueze has drawn praise from his club coach, Stefan Pioli after an impressive performance in Milan’s 3-0 win over Lecce, Soccernet.ng reports.

The 24-year-old right-winger joined the seven-time UEFA Champions League winners from Villareal last summer in a deal worth  €20m plus an additional €8m in bonuses.

However, the Nigerian frontman didn’t hit the ground running immediately, leading to criticisms as he was unable to find the back of the net in the Serie A during his first six months in Italy, with glimpses of his quality only coming in the UEFA Champions League.

The second half of the season has been much better for the former Villareal man, and after a brilliant display against Lecce that saw him produce a brilliant assist for Christian Pulisic to open the scoring at the Giuseppe Meazza, Chukwueze has received praise from Stefan Pioli.

“His mind has changed. Now he has confidence, he’s positive, he believes in what he does. He understands what the team has to do on the pitch. He’s a quality player. I’m very happy for him because he’s been through a difficult time. From the outside looking in, everything seems rosy but the boys are experiencing significant pressure. He believed in it and worked hard, which pleases me, the club and the team,” the 58-year-old tactician said in his post-match presser in quotes revealed by Siempre Milan.

The 19-time Serie A winners will be in action during the week as they face Danielle De Rossi’s AS Roma in the UEFA Europa League quarter-final, and Chukwueze will be intent on building on his positive display.