Be honest: when you saw Rafael Leao donning the red and yellow of Galatasaray for the first time, it just didn’t look right, did it?

We’d had some time to get used to the idea that Leao would be heading to the Turkish giants, and even longer to prepare for the notion that he would not be donning the red and black stripes this season, but it’s another thing entirely to actually see it.

Seven years of memories will do that. Countless ups and downs, glorious victories and painful losses, personal triumphs and traumas are woven into a story that stretches back into the previous decade. Whatever your opinion of Rafael Leao, you had one.

In many ways, Leao is the face of the modern era of Milan, and whether you think that’s right is up to you. Now that the story is over, though, we have the opportunity to reflect and a rollercoaster that never stopped producing adrenaline.

That boy with the smile

As so often happens in fairytales, it didn’t start in an ideal way. Having signed for a fee of around €30m plus add-ons from Lille, nobody really knew quite what to expect from the boy from Almada.

However, he came at a time when it felt like Milan were turning a corner, joining in the same window as the likes of Theo Hernandez, Ismael Bennacer and Rade Krunic, who were also relative unknowns but also went on to become pillars of the rebirth.

The issue at first is that Marco Giampaolo, the first head coach Leao worked under, didn’t seem entirely sure how to get the best out of the then-20-year-old. He had a rigid 4-3-1-2 system, and wasn’t convinced by the notion of using him as a starting striker nor as the attacking midfielder.

Then there was that moment. Milan had made an awful start to the season and trailed 3-0 at home against a Franck Ribery-inspired Fiorentina. There weren’t many fans left in the stadium, but those who stayed saw a moment of brilliant from the bright-eyed Leao.

He went on what would become a trademark jinking run through the left edge of the box, dropping three defenders en‑route to a gorgeous finish. It would be just a consolation, and yet at the same time it was a lightning rod.

The first two crucial figures in Leao’s story came onto the scene that winter. The first was Stefano Pioli, who replaced Giampaolo after an ill‑fated seven‑game tenure, though Leao remained a bit of an in‑and‑out player under the new coach. That was until Zlatan Ibrahimovic returned for a second stint.

The pair have spoken at length about the instant brotherhood that was struck up on and off the field. Zlatan became an early mentor to Leao, who saw him as an older sibling, and when Pioli switched to playing two up front Rafa began to show his sparkle.

He would end that debut season with six goals in the league, which was only two less than his previous campaign with Lille. And yet, with Pioli understanding the talent he had at his disposal and with the team emerging from their shell, the conditions were being laid out for a lift‑off.

The superstar is born

The Covid‑19 period was not nice for anyone, given the immense amount of distress it caused so many people. Football had to go on pause when it would have probably been a welcome distraction, but it allowed Pioli and the Milan team to work away from prying eyes, creating a bond that would lead on to great fortune.

Milan played some electrifying football in the post‑lockdown period, with the first indications coming in that aforementioned period towards the end of 2019‑20, like the comeback from two goals down to beat Juventus 4-2 at San Siro.

Leao would score six Serie A goals in the 2020‑21 campaign, one that would see Milan challenge for the title with city rivals Inter until spring before falling away. In the end, a win over Atalanta was needed on the final day to secure a return to the Champions League after a seven‑year absence.

It wasn’t a trophy, but it felt like a