Buffon’s 20th anniversary is marked by the rise of Donnarumma, as @JamesHorncastle explains https://t.co/CGQwDJPdLY pic.twitter.com/3u4MjWM7mA
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 19, 2015
Currently standing 6-foot-5, Donnarumma has always been on the tall side. When he played youth soccer, his size inspired protests from opposing coaches, so his mother always made sure to have his birth certificate on hand to show that he was the right age. Donnarumma’s older brother went into the Milan soccer academy first, but he never made it to the field – instead, AC Milan sold him to the lower-level team Genoa.
Donnarumma made his debut for AC Milan in August, when Mihajlovic put him on the pitch in a friendly against Real Madrid. He came on in the 72nd minute to replace Diego Lopez. The game went to penalty kicks, and Donnarumma saved a shot from the spot by Toni Kroos, a member of the German World Cup championship team. However, he missed the key save as AC Milan lost 10-9 on kicks.
