Spanish midfielder Suso Fernandez said he feels this could be his season under Vincenzo Montella at AC Milan.
The 22-year-old joined the Rossoneri from Liverpool in January 2015, but he found it hard to break into the first team and was shipped out on loan to Genoa a year later.
Fresh from scoring six goals in 19 Serie A games for Il Grifone, Suso is now back in Milan, where he believes the change in coach can be mutually beneficial, even if admits he had doubts to begin with.
"When Milan appointed Montella, I thought he was going to send me home," Suso told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "But he likes us to play football and keep possession, which is an important philosophy for a club like Milan. If we keep the ball then it's difficult for our opponents. I like Montella because he's very 'Spanish' in this regard.
"I am a person who needs to feel I have the faith of the coach and this is the key. All I ask for is to play as many minutes as possible, and with this coach, I feel my time is coming.
"Milan can count on me because I've matured enough to be able to say this. I always said that I wanted to play for this club and it is my desire to stay here and do something big here. I've had enough of loan moves."
His six months in Genoa were nevertheless important to help him find his feet in Serie A.
"When I arrived here in 2015, I was not in great shape physically and I needed time to settle in, so it was fair enough that Filippo Inzaghi didn't pick me," Suso said. "What I didn't understand, though, was that I was left out also for the first six months of last season.
"I spoke with the club and they assured me they were not holding anything against me. I didn't ask [Sinisa] Mihajlovic anything, and he didn't give me any explanations either. I kept on training well, but I wasn't playing. Anyway, I don't get controversial if I'm not playing -- I always knew my moment would come.
"I went to Genoa to prove to everybody, me included, that I am worthy of wearing a Milan shirt and that I have the quality to do it. [Gian Piero] Gasperini is a great coach and I liked him a lot."
A photo posted by Suso (@30susofernandez) on
Suso has netted two goals in preseason for Milan, making him currently their top goal scorer. He expects many more goals to come this season, saying that is one of his strengths.
"I have a good eye for goal," he said. "Maybe I can go 10 minutes without touching the ball, but if it arrives where I want it, I will score a goal for sure. [Lionel] Messi is my biggest inspiration. He's the real phenomenon. I also like [Eden] Hazard of Chelsea a lot."