Stephan El Shaarawy never considered leaving AC Milan

AC Milan forward Stephan El Shaarawy has insisted that he never considered leaving the club, despite continued transfer speculation during the summer.

The 20-year-old came to the fore last season after a string of impressive performances in Serie A, and was linked with the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea.

Milan confirmed that they rejected a £25m bid for the youngster last month, and the player himself claims that he was always going to stay at the club.

"I've always been convinced of my decisions, so I never thought about changing team," El Shaarawy told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"I have been a Milan fan since childhood, so being here is a dream come true. I would never have left, not even faced with an offer from Real Madrid. I'd have said no to any team.

"I want to be here for a long time and write Milan history."

El Shaarawy joined Milan in the summer of 2011.