Profile Simone Perrotta

Personal information

Full name : Simone Pasquale Perrotta

Date of birth : 17 September 1977

Place of birth : Ashton-under-Lyne, England

Height : 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)

Playing position : Midfielder

Current club : Roma

Number : 20

Senior career :

1995–1998 Reggina

1998–1999 Juventus

1999–2001 Bari

2001–2004 Chievo

2004– Roma

National team :

1998–2000 Italy U-21

2002–2009 Italy

Club career

Perrotta can operate as a box to box midfielder, a winger, a central attacking midfielder, or a defensive midfielder. Although he may lack some of the technical skills of his Italian peers, Perrotta makes up for it with his energy, tackling ability, and will to win. He is often used in an attacking role and surges up field and even goes for goal.

Perrotta lived in England until the age of 6, attending school at St. Ann's R.C primary school in Ashton-under-lyne, Manchester. His parents, Francesco and Anna Maria, ran a pub in Ashton and lived on Fitzroy Street and briefly at the Chiltern Chapel before moving back to Italy in 1982. Perrotta is of Calabrian origin despite being born in England.

Perrotta grew up in the youth system of Reggina and debuted in Serie B in 1995, becoming an important fixture in their line-up. In 1998, Juventus decided to sign him, but with great midfielders like Antonio Conte, Didier Deschamps, and Zinédine Zidane ahead of him he only collected 5 appearances for the Turin club. In 1999, he was loaned to Bari in a co-ownership deal for €1.25million (as part of Gianluca Zambrotta's deal), where he played for 2 seasons. In 2001/2002 he was shipped to Chievo. There, he was a mainstay in the midfield of the surprising Chievo squad that was 1st place at the winter break. He even provided the winning assist in their famous victory over Inter that season.

In 2004, Roma signed him from the Veneto club for €7.2 million. (also, new signing Matteo Brighi, who valued €16 million, was loaned to Chievo) In merit of his fine performances for the capital club, he earned a call-up to Marcello Lippi's World Cup squad, starting all 7 games for the champions. He signed a contract extension with the capital club, keeping him in Rome until 2010.
Under Roma coach Luciano Spalletti's 4–2–3–1 formation, he played behind the first striker in between the left and right winger as an attacking central midfielder.
Perrotta signed a new one-year extension to his contract with Roma in October 2009, that will keep him at the club until 2011.

International career

Although eligible for England, Perrotta played at the U-21 level for Italy. He won the 2000 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship but dropped from the 2000 Summer Olympics squad due to injury. He debuted at the senior level in 2002. He played for Italy at Euro 2004, scoring a goal against Bulgaria.
Perrotta also represented the Italian national team during the 2006 FIFA World Cup under coach Marcello Lippi, starting in all seven of the Azzurri's games en route to their World Cup title.
Unlike with Roma, Perrotta is often used as a left winger with the Italian national team or as a "front-lying" defensive midfielder, as he was in the 2006 World Cup.