Icardi: 'I'm not a leader, but I can help the team by scoring'
Yet the former Sampdoria star was disarmingly honest when asked about inheriting the captain’s armband at the Giuseppe Meazza.
“Why was I chosen? It’s simple, because I scored a lot of goals last season,” the 22-year-old told Italian magazine Sportweek.
“Am I a leader? No, but I can help the team by scoring lots of goals.
”Everyone talks in the dressing room, we motivate each other.”
Captained by Andrea Ranocchia last season, the Nerazzurri opted to go with the former Barcelona youth product after Roberto Mancini and the front office had overhauled large chunks of the squad, moves which left Ranocchia sitting on the bench.
As he explained a few days ago, Icardi wasn’t completely sure of becoming captain before opening week.
“I had no official confirmation. But I was expecting it by the time I received it, as Mancini’s assistants had sometimes joked about it with me.”
Asked about his relationship with Beneamata legend Javier Zanetti, Icardi said that El Pupi “hasn’t given me any advice, but he’s my first port of call if I have any doubts”.
