Category: AC Milan

There’s a laugh from the other end of the Zoom call as it is put to Josh Doig that in many ways he might be considered the stereotypical gap-year student.

Speaking from Sassuolo’s training centre in the beautiful province of Modena, Doig grins at the comment which comes after a discussion on the CV he is putting together, not only in terms of clubs but also cities.

Doig was born in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh and after coming through the Hibernian academy made his debut for the club in 2020, going on to make 78 appearances for the club.

But rather than move to one of the Old Firm clubs, or move down south, Doig instead moved to historic Verona, to play for Hellas and most recently in January to the charming little city of Sassuolo.

“It’s two different kind of cultures, two different cuisines as well and I think that’s one thing I’ll probably never, ever get anywhere else that is as good as the food here in Italy.

“It’s unbelievable. It’s too good. When I went home, during the international break, it just wasn’t the same, I’m like a proper food snob now [laughs], nothing was good enough.”

This is where it is put to Doig that he has gone abroad for a year or two and now will not stop telling people back home about the food and the culture.

He added: “[Laughing] it is exactly like that.

“I think that people dream of doing what I’m doing, so the fact that I get to do it and play my hobby as a job but at the same time live in Italy, I’m very lucky.”

Doig admits that he never meant to play in Serie A so soon but when the chance came up he jumped at it, something that left his father Tommy in “disbelief” as someone who fell in love with the league in the 90s as did so many others.

“It was always kind of attractive to me, but I thought it would be a long route to kind of get here,” Doig said. “But when the opportunity came up I jumped at it.

“It was obviously quite daunting at first, my move out of my house and away from my parents, but I think it excited me where it came up and it’s probably been the best thing I’ve ever done, absolutely no regrets. I’ve absolutely loved, what is it? Almost two years now.

“My dad says that he used to watch Serie A every week and was obsessed with it when he was younger. And he’s just in disbelief that I’m over here as well.”

Unsurprisingly coming from a football country as passionate as Scotland, Doig said that he quickly fell in love with the fan culture in Italy.

“It is brilliant [the fan culture],” Doig said. “I do love that side of the game and with Hellas we had great fans and now with Sass, they’ve not got the biggest support but they’ve got a group of fans and they’re everywhere, they follow us everywhere, they’re so loyal and we really appreciate that as a team wherever we go they’re with us so no I’ve been lucky in that sense with the fans we’ve had.

“And they’re all crazy the fans here. They live and breathe football, I think that’s kind of the Italian way and everyone’s obsessed with football so no matter what stadium you go to, they’ll be there.”

What about stadiums? Which legendary stadium has Doig enjoyed the most?

He said: “Obviously I think that the San Siro was the special one and my parents actually came over. I think we played Inter I think it was at the end of the 2023 with Hellas and whenever we go to San Siro, there’s just a special feeling about it.

“But to be fair every stadium has character, every one’s got their own tradition and stuff but I’d definitely say San Siro for myself because I’ve grown up playing it on FIFA and watching on TV and when you’re actually in it, it feels a bit surreal to be fair.”

It has not all been smooth sailing for Doig, and he remembers in particular his first game when he realised the level of league he was playing in.

He said: “I remember the first time I was like ‘oh this is Serie A’ it was away at Lazio and I was playing wing-back and [Manuel] Lazzari was playing right wing-back and the gaffer warned me that he was fast but I think I scored the week before so in my head I was away I was like ‘okay right I can deal with these guys’ and I remember his first touch took it inside and he ran it the full pitch and created a chance and I had no clue where I was, I was almost just turning in circles.

“So he was the first where I was like ‘oh there’s a different level here with these guys and I need to sharpen up’ just because he was so small and so fast, so hard to get an arm on.

“Matteo Politano also at Napoli – obviously we took quite a big defeat to them recently – his movement and stuff for me, it was unbelievable. He’s so sharp and his game-head is so clever and he just knows where to be to make my life difficult at all times.”

And it doesn’t stop there. When asked about his most difficult opponents, cries come from off-camera “What about Domenico?” in reference to Sassuolo captain and club legend Domenico Berardi.

Doig remembers the first time he came up against the magical forward.

“It was last season,” he said. “I remember. We played them at home when I was still with Verona we played Sassuolo and I remember being taken off at half-time, because my head was spinning.

“He was everywhere and he doesn’t look like he’s fast but I think it’s his movement and his first touch is just, it takes him away from you so nicely.

“He’s a special player.”

In a cruel twist of fate, Berardi suffered a season-ending injury soon after Doig signed for the club. It was a huge blow for a side battling relegation but Doig said that Berardi is still in the dressing room and is playing a key role in keeping morale high.

And that is the balance that a club like Sassuolo is trying to strike, ensuring Serie A survival but also committing to their ethos of letting young players shine and developing their game.

In Doig they have a keen student. When talk turns to left-backs he likes to watch, he is fascinating.

He points to his opposite number at the weekend Theo Hernandez “one of the best in the world” but holds special praise for compatriot Andy Robertson “the absolute best in the world.”

But then Doig brings up the UEFA Champions League game between Real Madrid and Manchester City, which has just taken place the night before we speak.

“Even, last night, obviously Real Madrid v Manchester City in the Champions League, the best stage on in football,” he said. “Obviously Man City don’t use a traditional full-back but watching [Ferland] Mendy, it’s more his movement to get on the ball and it’s his first touch.

“He makes it look so easy and I can get confused, like to the point that I need to sit and actually focus on it because these are world-class guys.

“I try and focus on the first touch, and the body position and how they play the ball because it looks like they’re playing so easy, but they are under so much pressure, but it’s because they’re so comfortable on the ball.

“I think that’s one thing on what I’m trying to implement in my game was just being able to take the ball anywhere and just getting that first touch so perfect every time.”

So what about Man City and this new trend of inverted full-backs. Does Doig think he can do that?

“Yeah, for me, I think I played CDM once in an U15 team that didn’t go too well,” he said. “But I watch a lot of Scottish football and you see players like Greg Taylor at Celtic and others and when I speak to them they’re getting made to come in and almost playing as central midfielders at times.

“I’m kind of looking around at that and thinking ‘god is that something I can do?’ but in this game you kind of need to be able to do that. But we have started doing that at Sassuolo so if it looks fine sometimes I’ll drop and come inside, so I’m going to have to start practicing doing it because I think it’s a good thing to have to be able to take the ball with someone behind you and get on the half-turn as well, which won’t hurt having in your game.”

And finally talk turns to Scotland. Doig says that it is “an honour” to captain the U21s and thoughts of Euro 2024 with the senior team are just in the back of his mind at the moment.

Another laugh comes out when it is pointed out to him that Scotland seems to have a remarkable knack of developing full-backs between him, Robertson, Kieran Tierney, Aaron Hickey and Nathan Patterson amongst others.

And how about the Scots in Italy? At Bologna, Lewis Ferguson has been one of the key cogs of Thiago Motta’s revolution. Motta has called Ferguson a “warrior” for the way he sets the tone and Doig has become a fan favourite at both of his clubs.

What gives Doig that drive? What makes him work so hard on and off the pitch?

He said: “When you grew up in Scotland, obviously, it’s difficult, you know that you haven’t got the best of facilities all the time. For me, I was just out in the street every day. And I think that kind of drove me forward.

“I remember being I think in an Under-Seven team, and we went down to St. George’s Park,and we were like, ‘what is that?’

“I think seeing what other places have and stuff like that drives you forward and obviously it is a big culture in Scotland, the street football and that’s where I learned most of my stuff when I was younger. I was constantly out on the streets, playing football with my pals until the sun came down and that was kind of every day for me.”

The sun has only just started to rise on Doig’s promising young career. This weekend? It’s Christian Pulisic. The future is a glorious unknown.