Fikayo Tomori did as advised and reported a couple of hours earlier than normal. Even so, he found the crowds assembling in the streets outside Milanello, with their giant flags, glowing flares and loud hailers.
Manager Stefano Pioli and his team lined-up to hear the roar of the Curva Sud ultras before boarding the team bus for the drive to Bergamo, to face Atalanta in the final game of the season.
The bus rolled slowly through the gates, out of the training complex, engulfed by plumes of red smoke and escorted by fans holding flares, windows rattling from the din, just in case any players were in the slightest doubt what it meant to secure a return the Champions League.
Fikayo Tomori will be at the heart of the AC Milan defence when they face Liverpool this week
The Rossoneri will travel to Anfield on Wednesday night for their Champions League clash
'Motivating,' smiles Tomori with a hint of understatement. 'Different to anything I've seen in England. It was made clear from the moment I got here that we wanted to be back in the Champions League. Everyone knew it was really important.
'A club like AC Milan hadn't been in the Champions League for seven years. The team was in a good position and it went down to the last day, away from home against a strong side like Atalanta. Now, here we are.'
Milan beat Atalanta 2-0, ending last season with 13 points from five games – no goals conceded - to finish as runners up in Serie A, their best-placed finish for nine years.
Tomori, who joined on loan from Chelsea in January, became an instant hit with the Rossoneri for his pace and courage at the back, not to mention a vital goal in a 3-0 win at Juventus, springing high to head into the net.
Tomori has become a popular member in Milan's team and fanbase over the last six months
It was their first success at Juve's new stadium and the 23-year-old raised in Gravesend became the first Englishman to score for Milan since David Beckham.
'I saw that stat,' Tomori tells Sportsmail, via Zoom from Milanello. 'It's nice to see the famous players who have played here.
'When you walk into Casa Milan, where the museum is, you see how many titles and trophies they've won.
'Here at the training ground, you see photographs of those players lifting the Champions League and the Scudetto. There's a sense of history everywhere you look. Walk around and you know you are part of a big club. You know you're in a place drawn to success.'
Tomori required little encouragement to make his move from Chelsea permanent for £24million in June.
Tomori has become an instant hit with the Rossoneri for his pace and courage at the back
'The only question was did they want me,' he says, modestly. 'Coming off the back of last season, I felt very comfortable here.
'Everyone made me feel really welcome and happy. I was enjoying my football and felt like I was learning a lot. Most important, I was given an opportunity. The club trusted me to be on the pitch and that was so important.
'When I knew Milan wanted me, I was pretty much there. To be given the chance to be part of this historic club, to play in the Champions League after helping them qualify, and to have that connection with the club, the manager and my team-mates, it felt really good. I feel at home here.'
He may live alone, 600 miles from friends and family, but he settled smoothly into the rhythms of Milan.
Tomori is living on his own out in Milan after arriving from Chelsea where he failed to make it
'Life's a bit slower and more chilled than in England, more laid back, the kind of life I enjoy. The weather is a lot better. People go for coffee after training, just chill and sit in the sun.'
His language skills are developing. 'It's going well,' he nods. 'Italian is the language of the pitch and I can understand everything.' And he studies hard with the masters in the art of defending.
'I'm trying to learn and improve. England is a very fast league, situations happen fast and you have to react whereas, in Italy, you are luring your opposition into specific positions where you know you can defend it well. That's a big difference. It wasn't something I was used to at first.
'Italians are famed for their defenders and defensive structure. It's definitely coached differently here. It's about positioning yourself or reading where the ball is going, when to follow the striker, when to let the striker go, knowing if I go here then someone else has to go there, making sure all those cogs work together.
Tomori is being helped by AC Milan sporting director and a club legend in Paolo Maldini
'It's a really enjoyable environment and there's a lot of people to help. The manager was
