Stephan El Shaarawy says that he can finally see the light at the end of tunnel after a torrid season at AC Milan.
The injury-plagued attacker ended a six-month goal drought by netting twice in Sunday's 3-0 win over Torino to alleviate the doom and gloom surrounding San Siro and lift a modicum of pressure on coach Filippo Inzaghi, who is expected to be sacked, with the Rossoneri set to finish 10th in the Serie A standings.
El Shaarawy admitted that he has found the 2014-15 season tough going, with the Italy international's campaign having been interrupted by a compound fracture of his fifth metatarsal in January's loss at Lazio.
However, he is now looking towards the future with renewed optimism, explaining that his injury issues over the past two seasons have made him a stronger character.
"It's the light at the end of the tunnel, at least I hope so," El Shaarawy told Sky Sport Italia after netting twice against Torino.
"Aside from the goals, the positive thing is feeling well physically. For me, that was a great satisfaction.
"The last two seasons have not been positive and it's awful to see the club out of Europe.
"Milan could have done a lot more but we wanted to finish the year well at San Siro.
"I've worked with great desire in these months and I must now start again from here.
"It's not easy to be out for so long, but I always went forward on my own path and, in the end, hard work always pays off.
"I've gone through difficult moments, moments in which I had to react.
"When you reach certain levels, if you don't have the right mindset, it's difficult to stay there.
"But my family stayed close to me and these tough experiences made me grow.
"I've lived this past year in a different way but I managed to stay away from the criticism.
"Now I must start over with more motivation than before."
El Shaarawy enjoyed a breakout season in 2012-13, scoring 16 times in 37 Serie A outings, but a foot problem restricted him to just six goalless appearances last season.
The current campaign has arguably been even more frustrating for the 22-year-old, who has only struck three goals in 17 games.
However, he can still add to his tally, with Milan set to play their final game of the season on Sunday, at Atalanta.
