Donnarumma hopes to spend entire career with AC Milan

To the delight of AC Milan fans, Gianluigi Donnarumma is eager to see out the rest of his career with the Rossoneri.

The 17-year-old revealed that he's eager to sign a new contract, and join a declining fraternity of players to finish their careers with one club.

"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," Donnarumma admitted to La Gazzetta dello Sport, with translation from ESPN FC's Ben Gladwell.

"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."

Donnarumma, whose contract with Milan expires in the summer of 2018, broke into the first team last season when manager Sinisa Mihajlovic was in charge and gave the, then, 16-year-old a chance to prove he's worthy of the hype bestowed upon him during his time with the youth team.

Mihalovic, who was sacked in April, surprised the young Italian before Milan's tilt against Sassuolo in October with the chance to start his first match with the senior team - a gesture Donnarumma admits he didn't expect at the time.

"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."

Donnarumma went on to appear in 30 matches and registered 10 clean sheets in the process.