I rang Milan at 5 past 11 and he answered on the 2nd ring.
Footballers answer on the 9th ring or they ring you back in an hour. He answered on the 2nd.
"Mister Walsh."
"Ivan. Have you got 10 minutes."
"I have got all day. Nobody is ringing me."
That is the only thing he said in 22 minutes that was about the summer, and he said it flat, and I did not go near it.
"Right. 3 things, and then I will let you go and you can ring me back or not ring me back.
"1. You are the left side of my front 3 and there is nobody behind you. Not a 19-year-old I am developing, not a lad coming back from a loan. You.
"2. 63 matches. Champions League, 2 domestic cups, a Super Cup in Tallinn next week. You have played 4 European matches after Christmas in your career and I have got a squad that is going to play 12."
"And 3."
"3 is Christian Benteke."
"Say that again."
