A Very serious Message :
Pato: The agony and the ecstasy Sunday 30 March, 2008
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alexandre Pato gives himself “eight out of ten†for his performance so far this season and reveals the shocking illness that almost ended his career.
The Milan hitman started his campaign in January due to a legal loophole over his age, but has already netted seven Serie A goals.
“I give myself eight out of ten, but it would have been more if I had been able to score against Arsenal,†said the 18-year-old.
“I promise the fans that I will take Milan to fourth place. I am very happy here, as I have the most enjoyable job in the world.â€
Pato is famed for always scoring on his debut – doing so for Milan, the Brazil youth team and earlier this week the senior Selecao squad too.
“I hope to keep that trend up and score in my first derby!†he told the Gazzetta dello Sport.
Pato debuted that goal celebration after his first Serie A goal – holding his hands up to create a heart.
“When I score, the heart is for my girlfriend Sthefany and the smile is for the fans. It is a nice gesture, as I like to be at peace with the world. Sthefany and I love each other and we want to get married, but not this year.
“It hasn’t been easy for me growing up without my family around me. At 16 I saw my mother five times in 12 months. It was tough for both of us, but I shall always thank them for giving me the opportunity to choose.â€
Pato also revealed a shocking moment in his life that almost cut short his playing career before it had even begun.
“In 2000 I had a tumour removed from my left arm. I broke my arm when playing with a friend and they didn’t put the cast on properly.
“When they looked deeper into it they saw a tumour. The doctor Paulo Roberto Mussi operated on me and said if they’d caught it two months later my arm would have been amputated. I was very fortunate.â€
|