Inside Futbol (IF): Stefano, what do you remember about your experience in England? Why did you choose Derby County?
Stefano Eranio (SE): It wasn’t easy to leave Milan, Derby offered me a four-year contract.
It was a very nice offer.
It was the boss Jim Smith himself who convinced me to move to England after a Milan match, we were playing in Udine that day, and he was at the stadium.
It was an extraordinary choice, I left my heart in Milan, but in England, it was a wonderful experience and I recommend it to any player.
It’s true, they invented football, the fans live football as if they were at the cinema, after the game, life returns to normal.
IF: What was your relationship with Derby’s supporters like?
SE: My relationship with the fans was great.
They loved me, they were amazed that I left Milan for Derby.
I was a great help to the coach and the fans respected me for how I played and how I lived at the club.
It is an honour for me to be part of their Hall of Fame.
IF: What was the worst stadium for you to play in while you were in England?
SE: In those years, it was very difficult to play against [Manchester] United, they were a very strong team.
But for me the worst stadiums to play in were [Arsenal’s former home] Highbury and [Chelsea’s home] Stamford Bridge.
It was almost impossible to score points at those stadiums.
