Inter midfielder Kristjan Asllani had never considered leaving in search of more playing time despite the fact that he has not found as prominent a role in the Nerazzurri’s team as many had expected this season.

Speaking to Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview published in today’s print edition, via FCInter1908, the Albanian stressed that for him, the best thing is to stay at Inter and learn from his more experienced teammates.

Asllani joined Inter in the summer from Empoli.

The 20-year-old had been expected to be the backup option for Marcelo Brozovic when he was signed.

However, when Brozovic was ruled out for several weeks with a thigh injury, it was largely Hakan Calhanoglu who stepped into his role at the base of midfield rather than Asllani.

The sense was that the Albanian was not yet deemed to be ready to play the regista role at the base of midfield, whilst Calhanoglu would have the experience to do so.

This led to some speculation that Asllani could seek a transfer away on loan, even as early as the January transfer window, to an environment where he could play more frequently.

Asked if he had ever asked for a loan move away, the midfielder replied unequivocally “Never, that’s all false.”

“I’m happy here and want to stay here,” he continued.

“I was the one who chose to come here, and it’s a choice I’d make again.”

“From the beginning I knew what I was going to encounter here, it’s all part of the journey.”

Asked why he felt he was not regularly trusted to fill in for Brozovic yet, Asllani responded “Because I still have a lot of learning and growing to do, and I’m in a top-class midfield, there’s no mystery to it.”

“I was and am ready, but I never thought I was going to play any particular amount, precisely because of the level of my teammates,” he elaborated.

“But I’m happy with the opportunities I’ve and I believe that this is the time for me to learn, from Brozovic and from Calhanoglu, I consider them all to be masters in the position.”

Of being more of a backup player, Asllani reflected that “It’s normal at the start, but I’m working to gain more and more playing time and carve out more of a place for myself in the team.”

“I am simply Asllani,” he noted, “with all my qualities and my deficiencies.”

“One is in the defensive phase,” the midfielder noted of areas to improve in his game, “because I always like to try and keep the ball.”

Asked if he feels that he’s more of a regista or a mezzala, Asllani noted that “I’ve also played as an attacking midfielder, but I consider myself to be someone who’s best in the deepest role in front of the defense.”

“Andreazzoli was fundamental in getting me to play in different positions,” the Albanian noted of his former Empoli coach, “as well as being a teacher, an educator – he believed in me.”

“Inzaghi is similar to him in that way, he makes the younger players feel like they’re a part of the whole.”

Of the transition to playing at Inter, Asllani looked back that “As soon as I arrived, I thought I would have difficulty in a dressing room with so many big names.”

“Instead, everything went smoothly, naturally,” he continued, “the advice that they’ve always given me is to remain humble.”

“Everyone welcomed me, but Danilo D’Ambrosio is unique in this respect,” Asllani noted, “he’s the guy who passes ‘Interismo’ on from one generation to the next.”

“He always tells me that the name on your back isn’t important, but rather the badge you represent on the front of your shirt,” he noted of D’Ambrosio.”

“One day, when I’m his age, I’d like to be a D’Ambrosio for some younger player,” Asllani reflected.

Of the elements of other Inter midfielders’ games that he strives to emulate, Asllani named “Brozovic’s peace of mind with the ball at his feet.”

“From Barella I’d take the grit and spirit he shows in every workout.”

“From Calhanoglu and Mkhitaryan I admire technique,” he added, “they’re two players of supreme quality.”

“And from Gagliardini, I like his physicality and strength in the tackle.”

Asked about his infamous miss against Barcelona in the dying minutes of a dramatic 3-3 Champions League draw, Asllani lamented that “If I don’t think about it, other people make sure that I do!”

“Whether I go back to the village or walk around on the street, someone’s always there to remind me, and at this point I’m a little bored of it.”

“But I have to admit that I didn’t sleep for four days afterwards,” he reflected, “I spent the nights watching that moment, it’s imprinted in my mind.”

Asked why he didn’t simply square the ball, Asllani looked back on the moment that “I assure you that I wanted to give it to Mkhitaryan initially.”

“Then I preferred to stop and pass it to him, but the check took a bit too long,” he continued, “at that point there was no more space.”

“I thought I’d score, but I didn’t end up doing so.”

“I felt destroyed, but everyone consoled me, really everyone,” Asllani looked back.

“Unfortunately I can’t go back and change it, but it’s time to move forward,” he went on, “before Porto in the Champions League, let’s focus on Napoli.”

“If we win on January 4, we can open the title race back up for everyone.”

And when asked if he has really been an Inter fan since his childhood, Asllani noted that “I have the photos, the proof!”

“Among other things, my father is from Milan, and at the age of five he took me to see my first match at the San Siro.”

“It was a derby in December of 2007,” the 20-year-old looked back, “first the free-kick from Pirlo, then goals from Cruz and Cambiasso, and then right back in the car with my dad.”

“I was in love with Zanetti and I can recall the entire run to the Treble in 2010 by heart,” he closed, “but in that I’m far from the only one.”