Vince Grella, the Melbourne boy who got sick of everybody telling him he wouldn't make it, is on the verge of joining AC Milan, one of the biggest names in world soccer.

Grella has already proved his critics wrong in his three years in Italy and has started every game this season for Empoli in Serie A.

Now the giants of Milan want him and Empoli has given them sole rights on bidding for the 23-year-old midfielder until April.

"From now until April, they're basically watching me 24 hours a day," Grella said from the Socceroos camp outside London before the friendly against England.

"I had a great game against them which helped everything."

On the eve of his first full international for Australia, he acknowledged the dilemma of moving from a small club where he is a major player to a big club where he risks sliding into obscurity.

"It's already hard enough to play in Serie A for a small club and if you start thinking about too many things, it's too easy to slip down the slide and before you get yourself back up again, it's two seasons gone," he said.

"I've worked so hard to get in and now I'm playing and enjoying it but it's not written anywhere if I was to go to Milan I can't play.

"If I go, it's not to be a big gun, but I've played against Milan, I've played against Juventus, I've played against Lazio, I've played against Inter Milan.

"In saying that, I could go to Milan and never get a kick. But there's some trains that, when they pass, you never let them get away."

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP