AC Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng reveals his leadership role in the team a little over a month after joining the club for a second spell.
The Ghana international officially completed his comeback on January 1, having earlier trained with the side for months after parting ways with German club Schalke 04.
Debuting in a 1-1 away stalemate with Roma, the 28-year-old found the back of the net in his second game - a 2-0 defeat of Fiorentina in the Serie A after coming on as a second-half substitute.
“I hope to always bring something to the team, also in terms of character,” Boateng told Milan News.
“I’m always positive and try to let everyone realise we must step on the field with joy.
“That’s what happened with Inter [3-0 victory] and my speech fired up the team. We’re all on the same page. We think the same way. That’s why we played well and won.”
The former Tottenham Hotspurs star has been used sparingly on his second coming, making substitute appearances in all five league games played so far.
“I’m working to soon get back to 100 per cent fitness, then we’ll see if I can start a game,” Boateng added.
“I’ll like to play more, but I have all the time I need to make my mark. I’ll like to stay in Milan for as long as possible. I want to prove that I’m important to this team.
“I just told the coach that I’ll play wherever he needs me to. Obviously, everyone has preferences but I won’t say that here, or tomorrow, there’ll be controversy in the papers.”
Boateng previously played for Milan between 2010 and 2013, making 74 league appearances with 18 goals.