To celebrate the Lecce striker’s first goal in Serie A, the Swede revealed on Instagram the message that the young striker had sent him in 2019.

Take your dream and look inside yourself. Somewhere in your memory, there must be an image of your first goal in Serie A, scored in the last minute and decisive. Maybe it came to mind when you were a child, watching your idol’s goals from your sofa at home. Francesco Camarda made it a reality on a Sunday afternoon in late September, scoring for Lecce at the age of 17 thanks to a flash of true center forward talent. His first time in Serie A. And so, yes, his memory will have gone back to those afternoons when, in his bedroom, he devoured videos of his idol Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s goals. He has always been crazy about him. He was 11 years old and played for Milan, a center forward like Ibra, dreaming of Serie A. He admired him so much that he wrote to him, even in English. “Hi, I’m Francesco, thanks for coming back to Milan. I can’t wait to meet you.” And then the next day, just to make sure the message got through: “I’m 11 years old and I also play for Milan. My name is Francesco Camarda.”

Ibra posted it on social media after Camarda’s first goal. “Now everyone knows your name.” It was December 30, 2019, Francesco was 11 and Zlatan was 38. One was a child daydreaming, the other an established champion. They then found themselves on the same path. Ibra became a Milan executive at the beginning of what would be Camarda’s first year with the big boys and always defended him. In January last year, he opposed the idea of a loan to Monza, saying no to Galliani. Today, Francesco is in Lecce to grow, and he is doing well: it will take time and patience. Under the watchful eye of his idol Ibra and the entire Rossoneri management.

Kind words—  Ibra has always praised him. “He’s stronger than I was at his age.” That’s quite a compliment. “He will be the future of the club, he’s an asset,” he said last September. Then he always pampered him. Francesco, on the other hand, tried to take inspiration: martial arts, a shared passion, acrobatic goals, and learning to handle pressure as Zlatan teaches. He had an excellent teacher. Now it’s up to him to prove his worth, now that everyone knows his name. Take Ibra’s word for it.