He told Fox Sports: "It was a big change for me. Everything was moving at 100 miles per hour when I was in London, the football culture was crazy. Here I was also able to break away from football and enjoy the lifestyle, the culture, the food. I really like it.
"The Italian language? Now I understand almost everything and I'm doing my best to talk about it when I can I want to continue improving and I hope to be able to do some interviews in Italian soon.
"I wouldn't say there was a big change, or anything particular I did. I definitely took care of my body. But it was nice having the opportunity to play consistently. Your body gets used to it, which has been really helpful. When you're constantly in and out of training it can be difficult. Your body isn't prepared for constant use, so when you come in and offer a high intensity performance, it can definitely be a problem. But this season I feel good and I feel confident. And that's when I play my best."
He also explained: "I wanted an opportunity, and Milan really gave it to me. Pioli really kept his promises. It's not just knowing that I would play, but it's also having someone who supported me talked about it before and that he wanted me badly.
"He gave me the opportunity to play and be myself the best way I know how, and he adjusted me to what works best for the team. I think we found a good balance in that sense.
"Tactics are definitely an important aspect in Italy, as everyone says. We constantly examine every possible situation in training: how we press, how we execute set pieces. I feel I've learned a lot. Europa League? We'll fight to try to win the trophy."