Davide Santon

Davide Santon

Personal information
Full name	Davide Santon[1]
Date of birth	(1991-01-02) 2 January 1991
Place of birth	Portomaggiore, Italy
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[2]
Playing position	Full-back
Club information
Current team	Internazionale
Number	21
Youth career
1999–2005	Ravenna
2005–2008	Internazionale
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2008–2011	Internazionale	40	(0)
2011	→ Cesena (loan)	11	(0)
2011–2015	Newcastle United	82	(1)
2015–	Internazionale	22	(0)
National team
2007	Italy U16	4	(2)
2007–2008	Italy U17	12	(2)
2008	Italy U20	2	(0)
2009–2013	Italy U21	17	(0)
2009–	Italy	8	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 29 August 2016.

Davide Santon (Italian pronunciation: [ˈdavide sanˈton]; born 2 January 1991) is an Italian professional footballer who plays for Italian club Internazionale and the Italian national team as a left back. He started his career as a right sided attacker or winger, later reverting to an attacking full back who can play on both sides, and is known for his pacy, energetic runs down the flank. Santon also possesses notable strength, as well as good dribbling technique and defensive awareness.^[3] His precocious displays for Inter and Italy in 2009 led his coaches at the time, José Mourinho and Marcello Lippi, to describe him as a "predestined player",^[4] also comparing him to legendary Italian left-backs such as Maldini and Facchetti.^[5][6] In 2010, he was included in the Don Balón list of the best young footballers in the world, born after 1989.^[7]

Club career

Internazionale

At the age of 14 Santon joined Inter's youth system from Ravenna. He started out as a winger before moving into a defensive role. After helping the Primavera side win the 2006–07 Campionato Primavera and reaching the final play-off for a second consecutive season,^[8] he was called up to join the first team for the 2008–09 pre-season training in South Tyrol^[9] and training sessions during the first half of the season.

José Mourinho first named Santon in the line up for a September Champions League game against Panathinaikos and the next three games but did not use him. On 21 January 2009, Santon made his debut in the Coppa Italia quarter-final win against Roma, playing the entire match. Four days later, he made his Serie A debut in a 1–0 victory against Sampdoria. He made his European debut in the home draw against Manchester United, tasked with marking Cristiano Ronaldo. Santon garnered praise for his performance prompting Ronaldo to comment: .^[10] "I was impressed by Santon, he is a really interesting lad and a great footballer."^[11] Mourinho praised Santon for his personality and tactical versatility^[12] and Santon was handed the starting role for the next game. He started 13 league games and made two substitute appearances, thus winning his first senior honour, the 2008–09 Serie A title.

He had also become subject of praise by former Italy head coach Marcello Lippi in 2009, who described Santon as "A predestined player that reminds him of a young Paolo Maldini."^[13]

Santon made his first appearance for Inter in the 2009–10 season against Parma on the third game of the season, and subsequently started the game against Cagliari the following week. He was out until the New Year after sustaining a right knee lateral meniscus injury while on international duty.^[14][15] He made his return in January as a substitute against Bari^[16] and was called back into the starting eleven to replace the injured Cristian Chivu. However, his return was short-lived as he injured^[17] the same knee again after returning too soon from the previous injury and required surgery, thus sidelining him for another three to five weeks.

During the 2010–11 season, Santon first served as an understudy of Chivu, but after Maicon's injury^[18] (and a later injury to Chivu), Santon returned to the starting line-up in November (except the Milan derby and Champions League matchday 5). He then played twice as a right wing-forward due to the injury crisis at Inter, the first one in a 5–2 win against Parma;^[19] in that match the coach preferred Córdoba and Zanetti in both full back positions, which he also did in the Champions League against Twente.

Cesena (loan)

On 31 January 2011, the final day of the transfer window, Santon was sent out on loan to Cesena as part of the deal that saw Yuto Nagatomo join Inter Milan in exchange.^[20]

Santon returned to Inter in the summer. Under new coach Gian Piero Gasperini, Santon often played as a wingback in their 3–4–3 formation in the friendlies. However, near the end of the transfer window the club kept Davide Faraoni as backup wing-back and sold Santon.

Newcastle United

On 30 August 2011, Santon signed for English club Newcastle United on a five-year contract, for an undisclosed fee believed to be £5.3m.^[21][22] He made his Newcastle debut on 16 October 2011 as a second-half substitute against Tottenham Hotspur.^[23] He went on to make his first league start for the club in December away against Norwich City, before making his full home debut the next week against Swansea City. He set up Papiss Cissé's first goal in the Magpies' shock win at Chelsea in the 19th minute. Halfway through the 2012–13 season, Santon was the only Newcastle United player to have started every league game. In the 3–2 win over Chelsea on 2 February 2013, he assisted the first goal with a cross for Jonás Gutiérrez, and the winning goal scored by Moussa Sissoko. He scored his first goal for Newcastle on 17 March, an equaliser against Wigan Athletic.

Return to Internazionale

After losing his first-team place to Paul Dummett, Santon returned to Inter in the 2015 January transfer window on loan, with an option to buy in the summer.^[24] Santon was also eligible to one of the four quota for club-trained players in UEFA competitions, otherwise Inter's squad would be forced to be reduced by vacating the quota. (Inter filled the quota with reserve players Giacomo Sciacca and Isaac Donkor, first team player Rene Krhin (first half), Joel Obi and Marco Andreolli in 2014–15 season)^[25][26][27]

The loan was made permanent in summer 2015.

Santon was once available in 2016 transfer market, which Sunderland A.F.C. once started a negotiation with Inter,^[28] as well as an alleged failed medical at West Ham United F.C..^[29] However, Santon remained in Inter's squad, as Inter had only three available players eligible for the aforementioned quota in 2016–17 UEFA Europa League (Andreolli, Santon and Jonathan Biabiany), with Lega Serie A also imposed a similar homegrown rule. The club was also forced to reduce the squad to a maximum of 22 as a penalty of breaching UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations.^[30] Eventually Inter had a 21-men squad, with 1 quota for Inter youth product was not used.^[31]

Santon was an unused bench for Inter in the opening match of 2016–17 UEFA Europa League; he was the starting fullback in the 2–1 win over defending champions Juventus F.C. in the Derby d'Italia.

International career

Santon has played for Italy from U-16 level and made his goal-scoring debut on April 2007 in a 3–1 win over Slovenia. On 31 March 2009, he made his debut for the Italy U-21 squad in a friendly against the Netherlands, played at Parkstad Limburg Stadion, Kerkrade which ended in a 1–1 draw.^[32]

Santon made his debut with the senior Italian team at age 18, on 6 June 2009 in a friendly game against Northern Ireland played in Pisa.^[33] On the same night future Newcastle team mate Shane Ferguson made his debut as a substitute for the visitors. He played the whole match and his solid performances earned him praise from his peers as well as coach Marcello Lippi.^[34] Lippi was impressed enough to name him in the roster for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, but Santon did not manage to make an appearance in the tournament. After some strong performances since signing with Newcastle United, Santon was recalled to the national team under manager Cesare Prandelli for the friendly against France in November 2012, however Santon did not come off the bench. He started the next game earning his eighth national cap in a 1–1 draw against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on 6 February 2013.

Personal life

Santon is in a relationship with Chloe Sanderson. She gave birth to their daughter on 21 May 2013.^[35]

Career statistics

Club

As of 23 July 2016^[36]

International

As of 7 February 2013^[37]

Honours

Club

Inter Milan^[38]

• Serie A: 2008–09, 2009–10
• Coppa Italia: 2009–10, 2010–11
• Supercoppa Italiana: 2010
• UEFA Champions League: 2009–10
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2010

References

Notes

1. ↑ Includes cup competitions such as the Coppa Italia and FA Cup.

External links

• Davide Santon – FIFA competition record
• Profile at the official Inter-homepage
• Unofficial fans website
• Profile at the official Newcastle United FC website
• Davide Santon career statistics at Soccerbase
  

Italy squad – 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
1 Buffon 2 Santon 3 Grosso 4 Chiellini 5 Cannavaro (c) 6 Legrottaglie 7 Pepe 8 Gattuso 9 Toni 10 De Rossi 11 Gilardino 12 De Sanctis 13 Gamberini 14 Amelia 15 Iaquinta 16 Camoranesi 17 Rossi 18 Palombo 19 Zambrotta 20 Montolivo 21 Pirlo 22 Dossena 23 Quagliarella Coach: Lippi