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Gianluigi Donnarumma pledges whole career to AC Milan

AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has said he would like to spend the entirety of his career with the Serie A club.

Donnarumma, 17, forced his way into the Rossoneri goal early last season at the age of 16 and he held down a regular starting berth throughout the campaign, earning rave reviews and almost claiming a place in Italy's Euro 2016 squad.

His displays saw him linked with Chelsea but Donnarumma has not pledged his future to the San Siro outfit.

"I'm really keen on renewing my contract and I'd be pleased to think that my relationship with Milan will be an enduring one," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"I am the kind of person who could easily imagine spending all of my career with the same club.

"Since I have always been a Rossoneri fan, I would also say that it would be a dream to wear the captain's armband. That would crown my journey. One thing at a time, though, obviously."

The first step was taken last October, when he was handed his debut in Milan's 2-1 win over Sassuolo by then-Milan coach Sinisa Mihajlovic.

"I will never be able to thank him enough -- I owe him so much," Donnarumma said. "It was the eve of Milan-Sassuolo and we were in Milanello [training centre]. He took me to one side and asked me if I felt up to it.

"There and then, I was taken aback. I didn't expect it, but he knew full well that he could count on me. I wish this [picking young players] would happen more often. I see too little courage in coaches -- they should take more risks and give youngsters more room."