Marco Parolo was born in a city called Gallarate in the province of Varese on 25 January 1985, and would go on to become a key midfielder for both Lazio and the Italian National Team. He grew up in Como, climbing his way up all the youth teams for years until he finally made his Serie A debut with Cesena aged 25.

He moved to Parma in 2012, cementing his spot in the engine room of their midfield and attracting plenty of attention from the big Italian clubs, in the end deciding on Lazio as his next destination. He made his European debut with the Biancocelesti in 2015, first in the Champions League play-offs and then in the Europa League group stage. To date, Marco has won one Coppa Italia and two Italian Super Cups with Lazio.

Parolo also made his Azzurri debut fairly late on in his career, slotting straight into the senior side at the age of 26. It was Cesare Prandelli who called him up to the squad, Prandelli a big fan of Parolo’s as he included him in the World Cup squad for Brazil 2014, the midfielder making two appearances at the competition. He was also a key player in Antonio Conte’s side throughout EURO 2016. Parolo has 36 Azzurri caps to his name.