Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty ImagesA return of Paolo Maldini in a mentoring role would greatly benefit the younger players at AC Milan.

Growing up during the '90s and being mesmerised by the delights of Italian football, there was a special aura surrounding Milan that drew me in. Moving forwards a decade, despite numerous players coming and going, there were always familiar faces that remained synonymous with the club. From Paolo Maldini to Gennaro Gattuso, they embodied what the club symbolised.

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The inspiration behind this post comes from the precedent being set at Ajax, where the Dutch giants are delving into a nostalgic free-for-all. Having already appointed Frank De Boer as their coach, the club won back-to-back league titles in the first eighteen months he was in charge.

Not content with just De Boer's involvement, Ajax have also brought home Dennis Bergkamp to work alongside him. In addition, both Edwin Van der Sar and Marc Overmars are employed in directorial roles, and just last week the club announced Jaap Stam would return in a coaching role.

As Milan recover from a disastrous summer which saw so many influential players leave and now embark on a brighter future, would it not make sense to bring home players from Milan's more recent history in order to, as Maldini recently put it, "give the magic back"?

Perhaps it would be impractical for several to return so soon, considering the likes of Gattuso and Clarence Seedorf continue to play elsewhere. However, as with many of his teammates, Gattuso has openly admitted it is his objective to return to Milan one day. With Pippo Inzaghi excelling in his coaching role within the youth setup, the knowledge and experience these ex-players could bring would be invaluable in teaching the next generation what it is to represent Milan.

What better time to do that when both Silvio Berlusconi and Adriano Galliani have set the path for the years to come, by targeting young Italian players with great potential.

Having had his issues with certain club officials, Maldini has not been shy in delivering scathing assessments of the current situation at the club. Over the Christmas period, in an interview with La Repubblica, he spoke of how Milan had stopped teaching their knowledge to the next generation by not planning for the departure of so many icons.

He pointed at clubs such as Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, who through the likes of Franz Beckenbauer, Uli Hoeness, Emilio Butragueno and Jorge Valdano, "carried on the magic having experienced and even created it".

The 44-year-old revealed both Leonardo and Massimiliano Allegri had called upon him to help out, but without a definitive role Maldini questioned the benefit of such an arrangement. He is undoubtedly bitter about not being given a future at the club following his retirement in 2009, but that bitterness is engulfed by his great love for the Rossoneri and a desire to see them succeed.

Recent rumours continue to suggest another ex-player, Roberto Donadoni, could be called upon to take charge in the summer. The former Milan ace has admitted he would answer the call if one were forthcoming, leaving Allegri's future at the club in further doubt.

De Boer recently reminisced about how clubs around Europe copied the Ajax model many years ago, and it is his vision to lead them toward sustained success that will result in clubs once again envying the Dutchmen. Entering what could possibly be a key period in moulding the club's long-term future, would Milan benefit from turning back the clock too and bringing back a few familiar faces in coaching roles or otherwise to guide the next crop at Milanello?

For all the latest Milan and Serie A news, you can follow me on Twitter @italiafooty

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