Former Milan youth product and current Torino fullback Matteo Darmian has established himself as an exceptional player, providing breakthrough performances for both club and the Nazionale
Since his arrival to Turin after brief stints with Milan, Padova and Palermo, 25-year old azzurri fullback Matteo Darmian has established himself as a solid player during the past few seasons with Torino. Originally a youth product in the Milan academy, Darmian joined the rossoneri in the early 2000s after a club scout discovered him. The Italian made his debut for the club in November of 2006 in a Coppa Italia match against Brescia in which he came on for Kakha Kaladze. But his time with the club who took him in didn’t last long as he was then loaned to several Italian clubs in both Serie A and B before permanently moving to Torino for the 2011-12 season. Since then, he has been considered as one of the best at his position in Italy.
What you need to know
Full Name: Matteo Darmian
Date of Birth: 12.2.89 (Age 25)
Position(s): Right-back, left-back, right-midfield
Nationality: Italy
Current Club: Torino FC
Height: 1.82 m
National Caps: Italy U-17 (7), U-18 (5), U-19 (6), U-20 (9), U-21 (1), Italy (12)
Who is Darmian?
Due to his current run of form with both Torino and Italy, Darmian has made Milan regret letting him go. His brief spells with Padova in Serie B followed by Palermo in the top flight weren’t at all eye popping campaigns. However, since his permanent arrival to Turin in 2011, the 25-year old has shown that he has the necessary qualifications to be a success in Italy. His breakthrough campaign was in 2013-14 in which he played a vital role for his club, helping them earn 7th in Serie A which was enough to punch their ticket to this season’s UEFA Europa League tournament. For his efforts, Darmian was awarded Serie A’s “Right-back of The Year” honors. With his contributions, Torino managed to reach the Round of 16 in the Europa League before bowing out at the hands of Zenit St. Petersburg on a 2-1 aggregate score.
As for his stint with the Azzurri, the player has accumulated a handful of caps, most notably with last year. Darmian has 12 appearances under his belt, the first being in May of last year against Ireland in a friendly. His play for his club mixed with his performances for Prandelli earned him a spot on the 23-man Italy squad that showcased in Brazil for the World Cup. The right-back started for Italy in a 2-1 victory against England last June in Brazil.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The fullback from Legnano, Italy has fine tuned his skills over the past few years as its quite clear from his improved play. Darmian probably isn’t the most explosive, best skilled or mouthwatering talent in Serie A but for many, that is what makes him a solid player. The 25-year old is a plus-performer in several areas of the game as a fullback including his defensive efforts, fitness and awareness of the game in front of him. His strong tackling ability, primarily standing, minimizes the vulnerability of being beaten down the flanks. Fitness is a strong part of his arsenal as a player, making him one who can play a full match with an intense work rate and keep the pressure down the side. Despite not being the most skilled player, Darmian does possess quality pace which could be a result of his dedication to being a strong worker on the pitch.
The unique quality about Matteo Darmian is that because he does almost everything well on the pitch as a defender, his weaknesses never seem to haunt him all that much during his performances. Perhaps his biggest weakness is he leaves something to be desired in the air. Aside from corners, this is a minimal issue for him as he is a smart footballer who plays to his strengths and knows where he should be. One area he could work on is his accuracy on crosses.
2015/16 and Beyond
Matteo Darmian was a bit of a late bloomer in Serie A but has solidified himself as an all around solid defender over the past few years. At the young age of 25 and with a handful of good years to offer either Torino or another club abroad, Darmian finds himself in pole position for a dream move. Thanks to his call-up to the Italian squad last summer and his play at that World Cup, it’s no surprise that some of the biggest clubs in Europe have their eyes set on a summer swoop for the Italian. However, it is likely that many of the clubs from Italy will be keeping their eye on him as they know he can play elite level football in the peninsula that molded him into the player he is today. With the decline of Milan’s Mattia De Sciglio, Matteo Darmian will remain as the number one option at his position with the Azzurri under Antonio Conte until someone challenges him. Factor in his age, performances, ability and further maturity, it surely is great to be Matteo Darmian and this summer, it could be even better as Champions League football looms should he be sold by his current club. Darmian, one of the best kept secrets in Italy but not for long.
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