Tadpoles To Watch - Right Backs

Goalkeepers covered, now we move on to the defence. We’ll start at the right hand side, and Footie Frog’s first choice selection is…

Davide Santon

FactFile:           

Full Name:            Davide Santon

Date of Birth:        January 2, 1991 (age 18)

Height:                  6ft 2in

Club:                     Internazionale

Position:                Right Back

 

Overview:

 

I can hear the groans now – an obvious choice, I know, but this term Footie Frog has been so impressed by the performances of this much vaunted full-back that he could not be left out.

Somewhat thrown in at the deep end in January, Santon made his debut for Inter against Roma in the Coppa Italia, a match that the Nerazzuri won 2-1, and a game in which Santon proved that he was not out of his depth by any stretch of the imagination. Seemingly a favourite of ‘The Special One’ Jose Mourinho who frequently praises the adaptability, versatility and personality of the young right back, Santon has since been a regular selection.

When you consider how impressive this is as a feat at such a young age, take a moment to consider the importance of the matches in which he has taken part. Roughly two weeks after his Serie A debut, Santon was starting in one of the biggest games in European football – the Milan derby – and he performed admirably. This was then followed by his selection for the vital Champions League ‘Round of Sixteen’ match against Manchester United, coming up against wing magician Cristiano Ronaldo, and dealing with him like a veteran, prompting praise from the Portuguese and critis alike.

A player who loves to bomb forward and support the winger, he is solid and reliable at the back, with a grace and agility unusual for a player of such height

Already drawing favourable comparisons with Italian legend Paolo Maldini from such quarters as the Azzurri manager Lippi, this is one of those players for whom it’s not a question of whether his star will continue to rise, but how far…