Nine months after his last league goal, Niclas Füllkrug came off the bench to score the winner for AC Milan on Sunday – and made his personal weekend even better.
In England, fans didn’t take to his name easily, and it’s no different in Italy. Nevertheless, Niclas Füllkrug was sung about by AC Milan fans for the first time on Sunday. “Füllkrug! Füllkrug!” echoed through San Siro, where the national striker headed his loan club to a 1-0 win against bottom-of-the-table Lecce (76th minute) – three minutes after coming on as a substitute.
“I was ready and waiting to come on,” the match winner told DAZN Italia, after reports had suggested that his participation was unlikely due to his broken toe. While his teammates failed to get past goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone time and time again—the xGoals ratio was 3.4 to 0.17 at the end—Füllkrug made an immediate impact.
Füllkrug is the third German to score for Milan
Alexis Saelemaekers’ cross was “a dream for any striker,” said Füllkrug, thanking the provider after his first league goal since April 5, 2025 (2-2 with West Ham against Bournemouth). The soon-to-be 33-year-old is now the third German after Oliver Bierhoff and Christian Ziege to score for the Rossoneri in Serie A. They remain hot on the heels of leaders Inter.
Even though he came off the bench in four of his five league appearances, Füllkrug is “completely happy” at his new club, which has loaned him from the Hammers with an option to buy. “I am very grateful to be here and to wear the jersey, to get the confidence you need as a striker. The team has welcomed me very well, there’s a great atmosphere here.“
”Despite his huge muscles, he has a welcoming smile.”
Füllkrug didn’t let on that his weekend had started much worse when he made his second appearance at San Siro. According to Italian media reports, unknown individuals broke into the safe in the hotel room he has been staying in and stole watches and jewelry worth around €500,000. Did his goal make up for the shock? “Yes, that’s enough,” Füllkrug replied with a laugh.
This has also already made an impression in Italy. “Niclas knows how to make himself popular,” commented La Gazzetta dello Sport, which put the beaming Füllkrug on its front page on Monday. “Despite his huge muscles, he has a welcoming smile.”
