Federico Gatti has never even played in Serie A and worked in a supermarket and as a builder before earning a Juventus transfer, while tonight he starts for Italy against England.
The Nations League match kicks off at Molineux at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).
You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the LIVEBLOG.
The defender has never played for Italy at youth or senior level, while he is yet to make his Serie A debut, despite the fact he will be 24 later this month.
Remarkably, the 2021-22 campaign was his first in Serie B – Italy’s second division – and he remained at Frosinone on loan after Juventus purchased him for €5.5m in January.
Most of his career was spent in Serie C and the semi-pro Serie D leagues, which means he had to work a day job to make ends meet.
“I had lots of jobs, I will never forget that past, in fact it gives me strength during difficult moments to keep going,” said Gatti during a press conference.
“I did a bit of everything. I worked in supermarkets, a window-fitter, a builder. Fortunately, things went well with football in the end.”
Now he is in the starting XI for Italy in the Nations League match against England, with the Azzurri top of their group after a 1-1 draw with Germany and 2-1 win over Hungary.
#Nazionale 🇮🇹
🎙 Intervista a #Cancellieri, #Esposito, #Gatti e #Scalvini
La notizia 👉🏻 https://t.co/wqy9XLEKBA#Azzurri #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/ATbgE4mvIZ
— Nazionale Italiana ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri) June 9, 2022
Love to see it.
With Italians becoming more rare in Serie A you have to wonder just how many more of him are out there.
I’ve used this example before but I’m convinced that if Italians were down to the lowly 33% back in 2006 as they are now, Fabio Grosso, who was another late bloomer buried in the lower leagues, would have been out of football and we don’t win that World Cup.