Mario Balotelli has left Liverpool to join AC Milan, with the Italy international agreeing to a season-long loan at the Serie A club.

Milan confirmed the deal on Tuesday, posting a stirring speech from the player, via La Gazzetta dello Sport:

I feel like someone who has just put the first part of his career to one side. Played and lived like a boy. But the ‘match’ is not over… Now I will have my say and live like a man. I know that many people don’t believe in my comeback. But I have to try. And have the belief that I can do it.

I have a promise to keep to myself, my family, Milan, [coach Sinisa] Mihajlovic, [agent Mino] Raiola and all those that want the best for me… I know that I cannot make any more mistakes.

Balotelli infamously only found the net on one occasion in the Premier League for Liverpool following a £16 million move from the Rossoneri in the summer of 2014.

Leaving the Reds represents a major blow for Balotelli, who has now failed to make the grade at four illustrious European outfits. The former Inter Milan prodigy now faces an almighty challenge if he is to rediscover the spark that once saw him rated as one of European football’s brightest prospects.

As noted by OptaPaolo, playing in England has been a major struggle for Balotelli:

Another spell with Milan for the Italian is intriguing. After managers such as Roberto Mancini, Brendan Rodgers and Jose Mourinho struggled to get the best out of the frustrating forward, Sinisa Mihajlovic faces a major task if he’s to get a tune from a complex character but an undeniably talented player.

Here’s a reminder of what he is capable of at his best and why teams continue to take chances on the controversial striker:

Milan know what Balotelli is capable of—the striker scored 26 Serie A goals in a season-and-a-half with the club in his previous spell, per WhoScored.com. But with the likes of Luiz Adriano and Carlos Bacca in the Rossoneri squad, the Italian faces an almighty fight getting into the starting XI.

But a step back might be exactly what this bespoke player needs if he is to eventually make his way to the top. Balotelli is box office as it is, but playing for sides like City, Liverpool or either of the Milan giants, the minutiae of every move made both on and off the pitch is examined in forensic detail.

Balotelli now needs to focus on his football, get regular game time and, as tough as it may be, avoid the media attention that is constantly trained upon him. But even at this relatively early stage in his career, it’s tough to see all those factors aligning for the forward.

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