Hakan Calhanoglu has achieved star status at AC Milan since Gennaro Gattuso took over as manager.

The Turkey international is having his best spell since joining AC Milan from Bayer Leverkusen over the summer transfer window.

The 24-year-old revealed that Gattuso has been ‘extraordinary’.

“Gattuso? He’s done extraordinary things for me,” Calhanoglu told La Repubblica.

The playmaker also explained how not being able to play for the second half of last season due to suspension was difficult to deal with.

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“It was terrible to train without being able to play for Bayer Leverkusen: I had a personal trainer and improved a lot in terms of sprinting, but I’m a footballer. Now I’m playing again and I’m happy,” he added.

Finally he revealed that he is looking forward to facing Arsenal star Mesut Ozil.

Calhanoglu and Ozil both start tonight in the Europa League Last 16 first-leg tie at the San Siro.

“Ozil? It’ll be nice to meet him: this is the best spell of my career and personal life,” he said.

Both players were born in Germany and are ethnic Turks.

Ozil decided to represent Germany at international level while Calhanoglu opted for Turkey – both had the choice of both national sides.

Calhanoglu has styled himself as Turkey’s Ozil.

“It’s thanks to the Germans that I became a footballer,” he told the Milliyet newspaper in 2012 regarding his decision to play for the Crescent Stars. “But playing for the Turkish national team is an honour. I want to be Turkey’s Mesut Ozil.”