Among the protagonists during the first two games of the season for Ignazio Abate’s Primavera side has been Diego Sia, a winger on a very exciting trajectory.
La Gazzetta dello Sport profile Sia, who was born on 10 March 2006 in Parabiago, about 30km from Milan. Now he is among the flagships of the Rossoneri’s youth sector, having scored three goals in the first two rounds of the season.
He netted a double on his debut in the 3-1 win against Monza and another in the 4-1 home win against Bologna, results that have Abate’s side currently sat at the top of the table after a difficult season domestically in 2022-23.
Sia showed his talent last season as he scored seven goals in the league as an ‘underage’ player given he was 17. His big moment came in the 3-2 win against Atalanta in the 90th minute as he showed pure killer instinct in one of the most delicate matches to bury a shot and win the game.
It was a sign of tranquility for a player who grows day after day with the advice of Abate, with whom he shared the experience in the U16s and one of the first great disappointments of his career: the final in Ascoli lost against Roma, in extra time, in 2022.
It was one of those moments that can make or break a young player, and it seems to be the former. He earned promotion to the Primavera and was key in last season’s run to the UEFA Youth League semi-finals.
Sia’s relationship with Abate is shown in the fact he runs towards the bench after each goal to hug him. Almost as if to say ‘Thank you’ to repay a never-failing trust.
What kind of a player is Sia? He is a classic winger good in one-on-one situations, often starting from the left and cutting into the middle, but he has already been seen several times on the right too.
The underlying theme of his growth is his determination, which has always been shown on the pitch between tackles won and balls fought for to the end.
Just over a year ago – upon signing his first professional contract – he took to social media with a phrase that summarises his mentality: “Your only duty is to save your dreams.”
Maybe if he keeps up this incredible form he too could once be on the bench for a pre season game before being loaned to Serie C