Davide Santon

Date of Birth: January 2, 1991 Birth Place: Porto Maggiore (Ferrara) Nationality: Italian Height: 187cm Weight: 77 kg Position: Defender Team: Inter Jose Mourinho affectionately calls him ‘The Kid’, but only in public. Truth be told, you could refer to Davide Santon as ‘The Elect’. He was born in Porto Maggiore (Ferrara) and his right foot has always been his best weapon. On The Crossroads With Balotelli His story is very similar to the one of his great friend Mario Balotelli, but their paths seem now about to diverge: just when 'Super Mario' has started having problems with Mourinho (he refused a call-up for the game with Catania), 'The Kid' has emerged and has begun wowing pundits and fans, particularly those who considered him a true winger, a role that would have suited him more in the complex Serie A world. The Debut Mourinho, who has a knack for unearthing young talents, did the opposite on this occasion. With the media speculating that Santon was about to go out on loan to gain experience, he threw him into the fray for the match with Roma, a real classic in the Coppa Italia over the past few seasons. And where did he put him? At left-back, no less. Someone was needed to replace Maxwell after the Brazilian’s disastrous performance at Atalanta. The youth product brilliantly passed the test and went on to earn a starting shirt for the last two Serie A games. “He does not lack character going up the flank,” the prestigious Gazzetta dello Sport wrote about him. Santon received a 6.5 rating from the paper and his first few matches are a good omen for the Nerazzurri fans. What Do They Say About Him? We already said that the 'Special One' likes referring to him as ‘The Kid’ and his appreciation for the youngster is pretty evident: “Do you want to know what Davide’s main problem is?,” Mourinho asked journalists a few weeks ago. “It’s Maicon. Santon is not a regular in the starting XI, only because he has Maicon ahead of him.” However, Mourinho had also declared that Santon would definitely replace Maicon when needed, but with the Brazilian suspended for Inter-Cagliari, the Portuguese tactician opted to move Javier Zanetti into his old role, perhaps feeling the young boy was not mentally ready to make his Serie A debut. Well, he was wrong, because the 17-year-old stunned everyone upon finally getting the nod and also got rave reviews from all Italian sports newspapers after starting his second game in Catania. Positions He played as a winger at youth level, but Vincenzo Esposito (Inter Primavera boss) employed him at left-back during the championship finals in Abruzzo last summer. He did not get stage fright and showed great confidence and composure, so much so that Italian pundits are now confident he will be the next Paolo Maldini.