"?AC Milan youngster Manuel Locatelli posted a heartfelt message on Facebook to his idol Riccardo Montolivo four years ago, claiming "I want to be just like you."
And in a meteoric rise, the 18-year old is now replacing an injured Montolivo in the Rossoneri starting XI.
"?The Sport Bible unearthed the Facebook comment, which was written in response to a Montolivo post. It received 19 likes, but not many of those 19 people - or indeed Locatelli himself - would've anticipated his rapid rise to prominence.
At the time of the message, Locatelli was in Milan's renowned youth system, clearly determined to quickly rise through the ranks. He was promoted into the first team last season, becoming one of Europe's hottest prospects in the process.
The Italian wonderkid scored two goals with his first two shots on target this season, and also bagged a vital winner against champions Juventus.
18-year-old Manuel Locatelli has scored 2 goals with his first 2 shots on target in Serie A. ? @SoccerSt_ pic.twitter.com/4BLY3MvgS8
Having replaced Montolivo with Milan 3-1 down against Sassuolo at the San Siro, Locatelli hit a stunning strike to pull a goal back with his first shot in a game they went on to win 4-3.
Disappointingly for Locatelli and his teammates, though, Milan missed the chance to go top on Tuesday night, after a surprising 3-0 loss away at Genoa. They remain third after the defeat, two points behind leaders Juventus who have a game in hand.
"?"?