AC Milan's best academy graduates of all time: From Maldini to Donnarumma, Baresi to Aubameyang

One of the greatest defenders of all time, Franco Baresi was a legendary name in European football in the '80s and '90s.

A true one-club man, Baresi breathed Milan throughout his career. Interestingly, though, he only joined the Rossoneri after being rejected by city rivals Inter.

Baresi arrived a 12-year-old in 1972 and made his first-team debut at the age of 17. He went on to play at the highest level for Milan for 20 years, making 719 appearances in all competitions.

The elegant central defender helped Milan win six Serie A titles, two Serie B titles and three European Cups.

Legends don't come bigger than Paolo Maldini.

He was the cornerstone of AC Milan and Italy sides for so long in a distinguished career, leading them with panache and skill.

He was nicknamed Il Capitano (The Captain) and it's easy to understand why: he was Milan through and through, representing the club for all 25 years of his professional career.

He made 902 appearances for Milan, a club record. He also earned 126 caps for Italy in a chequered career.

Often considered the greatest left-back the game has ever seen, Maldini was an equally impressive centre-back, a role he transitioned into towards the latter part of his career.

He helped Milan win seven Serie A titles and five European Cups!

Sandro Salvadore might be a certified Juventus legend but he was an AC Milan youth product.

The central defender came through the Milan youth ranks before making his debut in 1958. He spent four years in Milan before moving to Turin.

He spent the rest of his career at Juventus (1962-74) and represented Italy at two World Cups.

Salvadore, though, was part of the Milan sides that won the Scudetto in 1959 and 1962.

Francesco Toldo spent three years in Milan's youth sector but never played a game for the first team.

The goalkeeper went on to have a successful career at Fiorentina before turning out for Inter.

Toldo is considered one of Italy's best goalkeepers of the modern era and won the Serie A goalkeeper of the year award in 2000.

He also earned 28 caps for Italy and was part of the Inter team (albeit as a second-choice goalkeeper) that won five consecutive Scudetti between 2005 and 2010.

Alberico Evani was a skillful and dynamic midfielder who rose through the Milan academy ranks and spent 13 years at the club. He made his debut at 18 and went on to make around 390 appearances in all competitions.

During his time with the Rossoneri, Evani won three Serie A titles and two European Cups.

Evani later also played for the likes of Sampdoria, Reggiana and Carrarese. He also earned 15 caps for Italy, representing them in the 1994 World Cup.

Another one of Milan's greatest defenders, Alessandro Costacurta's spanned from 1986 to 2007.

Along with Mauro Tassotti, Baresi and Maldini, he was part of one of the meanest defences the game has ever seen.

Costacurta, who spent around seven years in the Milan academy, spent most of his career representing the senior side, save for a brief loan spell at Monza at the start of his playing days.

Though overshadowed at times by the fame and name of Maldini and Baresi, Costacurta was an equally important player for Milan and Italy. He was tactically versatile, could play anywhere along the backline and was hardworking.

Costacurta contributed to seven Serie A title triumphs and five European Cup victories.

A versatile defender who could also play as a midfielder, Gianluca Pessotto is best known for his time at Juventus, with whom he won multiple trophies, including Serie A and the Champions League.

However, Pessotto was a product of the AC Milan youth academy, though he never made an appearance for Milan and was sold to Varese at the age of 19.

After stints with various clubs including Torino, Pessotto joined Juventus in 1995 and went on to have a successful career with the Old Lady and Italy, winning 22 caps for the Azzurri.

Donnarumma is arguably the best talent to have come out of Milan's academy in recent years.

The imposing goalkeeper joined the club in 2013 and his prodigious talent was there for everyone to see right away.

Indeed, Donnarumma made his senior-team debut at the age of 16 in 2015. In doing so, he became the second-youngest goalkeeper to start a game in the history of Italian football.

At the age of 17, Donnarumma also became the youngest goalkeeper ever to play for the Italian national team.

Donnarumma spent six years in Milan's first team and left in 2021 to join PSG after his contract expired.

By then, he had established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, having played a pivotal role in Italy's triumph at Euro 2020, where he was named the Player of the Tournament.

Though Massimo Oddo was a Milan youth product, the right-back had to wait till the latter part of his career to make an appearance for the the club.

He was loaned out to many clubs during his initial six-year spell with the Rossoneri before joining Napoli in 1999.

He eventually found success with Lazio before rejoining Milan in 2007. The defender enjoyed a successful second stint at San Siro, winning Serie A and the Champions League.

Oddo was also capped by Italy 34 times, and was a part of the team that won the 2006 World Cup.

An enterprising full-back, Abate joined Milan's youth system in 1999 but did not make his first appearance for Milan until 2009.

The Rossoneri had initially loaned him out to several clubs from 2004 to 2007 before selling him to Empoli and Torino on co-ownership deals.

In 2009, Milan fully purchased Abate. He went on to spend 10 years at his boyhood club and retired in 2019. Abate made more than 300 appearances during that time, winning a Scudetto in the process.

He also represented Italy on 22 occasions and was part of the Azzuri side that reached the final of Euro 2012.

Aldo Maldera was a very popular figure among Milan fans. The hardworking full-back was beloved for his strong left-foot and galloping runs down the flanks.

Maldera started his professional career at Milan in 1971 before moving to Bologna.

However, he soon returned to San Siro, where he would spend the next nine years, during which time he won two Coppa Italia titles and one Scudetto.

Maldera, who would also line out for the likes of Roma and Fiorentina, also represented Italy on 10 occasions.

Aubameyang is another one of those AC Milan youth products who never made an appearance for the senior team.

However, the forward eventually blossomed into a world-class striker.

Aubameyang joined Milan's youth team in 2007 but, after loan spells at Dijon, Lille and Monaco, he was sold to Saint-Etienne in 2011.

The Gabon international became a star in Ligue 1 and was signed by Borussia Dortmund in 2013.

He then moved to Arsenal in 2018 and ended up winning the Premier League golden boot in 2018-19. He currently plays for Barcelona.

Filippo Galli was an accomplished defender who had a lengthy stint with Milan after graduating from their youth ranks.

Galli spent 14 years of his senior career at Milan from 1982 to 1996, which included a loan spell to Pescara.

Galli was a part of the successful Milan sides coached by the legendary Arrigo Sacchi and Fabio Capello. He was overshadowed by world-class defenders Milan had at the time, but he did manage to contribute to Milan's success whenever required.

Galli won five Serie A titles and three European Cups with Milan.

Matteo Darmian, currently playing for Inter, was once a highly-regarded AC Milan youth product.

The versatile full-back was scouted by Milan at the age of 11 and made his senior debut at 16, in a Coppa Italia game in 2006.

However, Darmian, who has been capped 36 times by Italy, ended up moving to Palermo in 2010, after making just seven appearances for Milan.

He would go on to play for the likes of Torino, Manchester United and Parma.

After spending smost of his youth career at Milan, Demetrio Albertini made his senior debut for the club at the tender age of 17 during the 1988-89 season.

He spent 14 years at San Siro and enjoyed great success, gaining game as one of the best midfielders of his time.

He helped Milan win five Serie A titles and three Champions League trophies before going on to line out for the likes of Atletico Madrid, Lazio, Atalanta and Barcelona.

Albertini was also an Italy regular, making 79 appearances for his country during a stellar career.

A technical midfielder, Bryan Cristante is an integral part of the Roma set-up these days. But he was also a Milan product.

He made his debut for the Rossoneri at the age of 16, in December 2011. However, he could not kick on and left the club in 2014.

He would end up playing for the likes of Benfica, Atalanta and more before finding his feet in Roma. The 27-year-old midfielder also has 27 Italy caps to his name.

Mattia De Sciglio is another accomplished full-back to have emerged from the stables of Milan.

Currently playing for Juventus, the Italy international was at San Siro for a long time.

He joined the club as a 10-year-old in 2002 and he made his first team debut in 2011, quickly becoming an important member of the side.

He made around 133 appearances for Milan before joining Juventus in 2017.

One of Italy's Euro 2020 heroes, Manuel Locatelli started his career at AC Milan as a precocious talent.

Having spent around seven years in the academy, the midfielder made his senior debut as an 18-year-old in 2016.

The following season, Locatelli's dramatic late winner in a 4-3 win over Sassuolo heralded the start of several excellent performances that earned him rave reviews.

However, he could not build on those and Milan ended up selling him to Sassuolo in 2019. After an excellent Euro campaign, Juventus loaned Locatelli in the summer of 2021 with an obligation to buy.

Still just 24, Locatelli has 24 Italy caps.

Another excellent right-back in this list, Calabria has been at Milan since 2006. The 25-year-old is currently one of the mainstays of the club and helped them reclaim the Scudetto in 2021-22after 11 long years.

Calabria, who can also play as a defensive midfielder, made his first team debut in 2015 and has steadily become an integral part of the team.