Davide Santon
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Davide Santon (; born 2 January 1991) is an Italian former professional
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who played as a left wing-back. A former
Inter Milan Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football ...
youth product, Santon began his professional club career with Inter in 2008, and remained with the club until 2011, aside from a spell on loan with
Cesena Cesena (; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy; and - with Forlì - is the capital of the Province of Forlì-Cesena. Served by Autostrada A14 (Italy), Autostrada A14, and located near the Apennine M ...
. He later had a four-year spell with English club Newcastle United, before returning to Inter in 2015. After three seasons, he signed with Roma. After emerging through the youth ranks at Inter Milan, Santon was considered among the most promising young fullbacks in world football. However, persistent injury problems hindered his progress and number of appearances. In 2022, Santon announced his retirement at the age of 31, citing injury problems. At international level, Santon made his senior debut with
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
in 2009, represented his nation at the FIFA Confederations Cup later that year, and earned 8 caps in total.


Club career


Inter Milan

At the age of 14, Santon joined
Inter Milan Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football ...
's youth system from
Ravenna Ravenna ( ; , also ; ) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire during the 5th century until its Fall of Rome, collapse in 476, after which ...
. He started out as a winger before moving into a defensive role. After helping the Inter Milan under-20 side win the 2006–07 Campionato Nazionale Primavera and reaching the final play-off for a second consecutive season, he was called up to join the first team for the 2008–09 pre-season training in
South Tyrol South Tyrol ( , ; ; ), officially the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, is an autonomous administrative division, autonomous provinces of Italy, province in northern Italy. Together with Trentino, South Tyrol forms the autonomo ...
and training sessions during the first half of the season.
José Mourinho José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix (; born 26 January 1963) is a Portuguese professional Association football, football Manager (association football), manager and former player, who is currently the head coach of Süper Lig club Fenerba ...
first named Santon in the line-up for a September Champions League match against Panathinaikos and the next three games, but did not use him. On 21 January 2009, Santon made his debut in the
Coppa Italia Coppa Italia () is the annual domestic cup of Italian football. The knockout competition was organized by the DDS and the Lega Calcio until the 2009–10 season and by Lega Serie A ever since. Juventus is the competition's most successf ...
quarter-final win against Roma, playing the entire match. Four days later, he made his
Serie A The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
debut in a 1–0 victory against Sampdoria. He made his European debut in the home draw against
Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
, tasked with marking
Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for and Captain (association football), captains both Saudi Pr ...
. Santon garnered praise for his performance prompting Ronaldo to comment, "I was impressed by Santon, he is a really interesting lad and a great footballer." Mourinho praised Santon for his personality and tactical versatility 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
Serie A The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
title. Santon had also become the subject of praise by former Italy national team head coach
Marcello Lippi Marcello Romeo Lippi (; born 12 April 1948) is an Italian former professional association football, football player and manager, who led the Italy national football team, Italy national team to victory in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was appoin ...
in 2009, who described Santon as, "A predestined player that reminds him of a young Paolo Maldini." Santon made his first appearance for Inter in the 2009–10 season against
Parma Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...
in the third game of the season, and subsequently started the game against
Cagliari Cagliari (, , ; ; ; Latin: ''Caralis'') is an Comune, Italian municipality and the capital and largest city of the island of Sardinia, an Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Italy. It has about 146,62 ...
the following week. He was out until the New Year after sustaining a right knee lateral meniscus injury while on international duty. He made his return in January as a substitute against
Bari Bari ( ; ; ; ) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia Regions of Italy, region, on the Adriatic Sea in southern Italy. It is the first most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy. It is a port and ...
and was called back into the starting eleven to replace the injured
Cristian Chivu Cristian Eugen Chivu (; born 26 October 1980) is a Romanian professional football coach and former player who is the current head coach of Serie A club Inter Milan. A defender, he began his career with hometown club CSM Reșița before moving ...
. However, his return was short-lived as he injured 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 Cristian Chivu, but after
Maicon Maicon is a Brazilian variant of the given name Michael. It may refer to: Brazilian footballers * Maicon (footballer, born 1981), Maicon Douglas Sisenando, Brazilian football right-back * Maicon dos Santos (born 1981), Brazilian football midfielde ...
's injury (and a later injury to Chivu), Santon returned to the starting line-up in November (save for the ''
Derby della Madonnina The Derby della Madonnina (; named after the ''Madonnina'' statue on top of the Milan Cathedral), also known as the Derby di Milano (), is a derby football match between the two prominent Milanese clubs, Inter Milan and AC Milan. In the past, ...
'' against
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
and matchday 5 of the Champions League). 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. In that match, manager
Rafael Benítez Rafael Benítez Maudes (born 16 April 1960) is a Spanish professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player. He was most recently the manager of La Liga club RC Celta de Vigo, Celta Vigo. Beníte ...
preferred
Iván Córdoba Iván Ramiro Córdoba Sepúlveda (, born 11 August 1976) is a Colombian former professional footballer who played as a defender. He began his career in Colombia with Deportivo Rionegro and Atlético Nacional, before moving to Argentine club ...
and
Javier Zanetti Javier Adelmar Zanetti (, ; born 10 August 1973) is an Argentine former professional footballer. Regarded as one of the greatest right-backs of all time, Zanetti is well known for having dedicated almost his entire career at Inter Milan, having ...
in both full-back positions, as well as for the Champions League against
Twente Twente ( , Tweants dialect: ''Tweante'') is a region in the eastern Netherlands. It encompasses the most urbanised and easternmost part of the province of Overijssel. Twente is most likely named after the Tuihanti or Tvihanti, a Germanic people ...
.


Cesena (loan)

On 31 January 2011, the final day of the transfer window, Santon was sent out on loan to
Cesena Cesena (; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy; and - with Forlì - is the capital of the Province of Forlì-Cesena. Served by Autostrada A14 (Italy), Autostrada A14, and located near the Apennine M ...
as part of the deal that saw
Yuto Nagatomo Yuto may refer to: *Yūto, a masculine Japanese given name *Yūtō, Shizuoka, a former town in Hamana District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan *Yuto, Jujuy, a city in Jujuy Province, Argentina *Yutō, a wooden container used for serving hot liquids, as ...
join Inter in exchange. Santon returned to Inter in the summer. Under new coach
Gian Piero Gasperini Gian Piero Gasperini (born 26 January 1958) is an Italian professional football manager and former professional footballer who is currently the head coach of Serie A club Roma. After starting his managerial career at Crotone, he had spells in ch ...
, Santon often played as a wing-back in their 3–4–3 formation in the friendlies. Near the end of the summer transfer window, however, the club kept
Davide Faraoni Marco Davide Faraoni (born 25 October 1991) is an Italian professional association football, footballer who plays as a Defender (association football), right back for Serie A club Hellas Verona F.C., Hellas Verona. Club career Youth career ...
as backup wing-back and sold Santon.


Newcastle United

On 30 August 2011, Santon signed for
Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
club Newcastle United on a five-year contract, for an undisclosed fee; according to Inter, Santon was sold for €4 million. On 16 October, he made his debut for Newcastle as a second-half substitute against
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...
. He went on to make his first start for the club in December away to
Norwich City Norwich City Football Club is a professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was founded in 1902. Since 1935, Norwich have played their h ...
, before making his full home debut the next week against
Swansea City Swansea City Association Football Club ( ; ) is a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. It competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Swansea have played their home matches at ...
. On 2 May 2012, Santon assisted
Papiss Cissé Papiss Demba Cissé (; born 3 June 1985) is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays as a forward for UAE Third Division League side Al Qabila. Formerly of SC Freiburg, he once held the record of most goals scored by an African player ...
's first goal in a 2–0 win over Chelsea. In the 2012–13 season, Santon became a regular in the starting line-up. He provided three assists to his teammates during the season: two against Chelsea for
Jonás Gutiérrez Jonás Manuel Gutiérrez (; born 5 July 1983) is an Argentine former professional Association football, footballer who played as a midfielder. He acquired the nickname "Spider-Man" for his goal celebration of putting on a mask of the superhero ...
and
Moussa Sissoko Moussa Sissoko (born 16 August 1989) is a French professional Association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder for and captain (association football), captains club Watford F.C., Watford. He is a Midfielder#Box-to-box midfielder, bo ...
, and one against
Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. Founded in 1932, they have p ...
for
Demba Ba Demba Ba (born 25 May 1985) is a former professional footballer who played as a striker. He serves as the chairman of National Independent Soccer Association side Albion San Diego. He made his first-team debut with French team Rouen in 2005 b ...
, as well as causing an own goal to be scored by
Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
's
Jos Hooiveld Jos Hooiveld (; born 22 April 1983) is a Dutch retired footballer. Hooiveld is known for his strong physical performances. Born in Zeijen, Drenthe, he started his career with Eredivisie club Heerenveen in 2003, before moving to Eerste Divisi ...
. On 17 March 2013, Santon scored his first and only goal for Newcastle (as well as his only goal of his professional career) in a 2–1 defeat to Wigan. On 4 April, in the first leg of the
Europa League The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
quarter-final against Benfica, Santon's misplaced backpass allowed
Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...
to round
Tim Krul Timothy Michael Krul (; born 3 April 1988) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for club Luton Town. Krul's career began at youth clubs RAS and ADO Den Haag before moving to Newcastle United in 2005. At Newcastle, he m ...
and score from a tight angle. Afterwards, he was photographed apologising to the club's travelling support by holding his hands up, which would become the defining image of his Newcastle career. Three days later, Santon came off early in the first half with a hamstring injury against
Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...
. He would miss the second leg as Benfica advanced into the semi-finals, and ultimately, the injury kept him out for the rest of the season. In the following season, he remained a regular in the side until February 2014, when he was ruled out with a knee problem and then tonsillitis. On 29 March, he made his return as a second-half substitute against Southampton, but allowed
Rickie Lambert Rickie Lee Lambert (born 16 February 1982) is an English former professional footballer who is currently an Academy Youth Development Coach at Wigan Athletic. A striker, Lambert was known for his large stature and physical performances, drawin ...
to get past him and score in an eventual 4–0 win for the ''Saints''. Post-match, he was again photographed apologising to the supporters by holding his hands up, and later stated that they had the right to boo the team. Although he played the full 90 minutes against Manchester United, he missed four matches due to another hamstring injury, and was an unused substitute for the final match of the season against
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
. In the 2014–15 season, a knee injury saw Santon miss much of Newcastle's campaign, but by the end of the year, he had returned to the squad for a home match against Everton. However, his only appearance for the club came in a
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
third round loss against
Leicester City Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
. After his loan back to Inter Milan was announced, Santon's fiancée claimed that he did not want to leave the club and that he had been "fully fit for a while, with no chance to play", before going on to criticise the club's hierarchy, "whose only intentions are to make
oney Oney may refer to: * Oney, France, a subsidiary of French Auchan Holding and Banque Accord * Oney, Oklahoma, an unincorporated community in Oklahoma * "Oney" (song), a song written by Jerry Chesnut and sung by Johnny Cash in 1972 * Oney Judge ...
.


Return to Inter

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. 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 Rene Krhin (born 21 May 1990) is a Slovenian retired footballer who played as a central midfielder. He earned a total of 48 caps for the Slovenia national team. Club career Inter Milan Born in Maribor, SFR Yugoslavia (present-day Slovenia) ...
(first half),
Joel Obi Joel Chukwuma Obi (born 22 May 1991), known as Joel Obi, is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Italian club Vis Pesaro. Club career Inter After winning the "Allievi Nazionali" Under-17 championship in 2008 under ...
and
Marco Andreolli Marco Giancarlo Andreolli (born 10 June 1986) is an Italian retired professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Club career Padova and Inter Milan Andreolli began playing with Padova's youth system before being signed by Inter in 20 ...
in the 2014–15 season) The loan was made permanent in summer 2015. According to Inter, the transfer (including agent fee and other costs) had cost the club €4.893 million. Santon was once available in the 2016 transfer market, which
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
were in negotiations with Inter, as well as an alleged failed medical at
West Ham United West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...
. However, Santon remained in Inter's squad, as they only had three available players eligible for the aforementioned quota in the
Europa League The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
(himself,
Marco Andreolli Marco Giancarlo Andreolli (born 10 June 1986) is an Italian retired professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Club career Padova and Inter Milan Andreolli began playing with Padova's youth system before being signed by Inter in 20 ...
and
Jonathan Biabiany Jonathan Ludovic Biabiany (born 28 April 1988) is a French professional footballer who plays as a winger for Spanish club Antequera. Between 2008 and 2014, he was regarded as the fastest footballer in the world. Early life Biabiany, of Guadelou ...
), with Serie A also imposing a similar homegrown rule. The club was also forced to reduce the European squad to a maximum of 22 as a penalty for breaching
UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations The UEFA Financial Sustainability Regulations are a set of regulations established by UEFA to prevent professional football clubs spending more than they earn in the pursuit of success, and in doing so not getting into financial problems which m ...
. Eventually Inter had a 21-men squad, with one quota for an Inter youth product not used. Santon was an unused substitute for Inter in the opening match of the
Europa League The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
; he was the starting full-back in their 2–1 win over defending Serie A champions
Juventus Juventus Football Club (; from , ), commonly known as Juventus or colloquially as Juve (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Turin, Piedmont, who compete in Serie A, the ...
in the ''
Derby d'Italia The Derby d'Italia () is the name of the football derby between Internazionale of Milan and Juventus of Turin. The term was coined in 1967 by Italian sports journalist Gianni Brera. The teams are from the two biggest cities in Northern Italy ...
''. After
Frank de Boer Franciscus de Boer (; born 15 May 1970) is a Dutch former professional footballer and current manager. A former defender, De Boer spent most of his playing career with Ajax, winning five Eredivisie titles, two KNVB Cups, three Super Cups, o ...
was sacked in 2016, Santon was rarely used by new coach
Stefano Pioli Stefano Pioli (born 20 October 1965) is an Italian football manager and former player who played as a defender. He is currently manager of Serie A club ACF Fiorentina. Pioli has managed several clubs in Serie A, including Bologna, Lazio, Int ...
. In the 2017–18 season, he was included in
Luciano Spalletti Luciano Spalletti (; born 7 March 1959) is an Italian Association football, football Association football manager, manager and former association footballer, player. He was most recently the manager of the Italy national football team, Italian n ...
's pre-season camp in July 2017. However, Santon was left out of the squad to Asia due to injury.


Roma

In June 2018, it was reported that Santon and
Nicolò Zaniolo Nicolò Zaniolo (; born 2 July 1999) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or right winger for club Fiorentina, on loan from Süper Lig club Galatasaray, and the Italy national team. Club career Early ca ...
would join Roma as part of the deal of
Radja Nainggolan Radja Nainggolan (born 4 May 1988) is a Belgian professional association football, footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Challenger Pro League club K.S.C. Lokeren-Temse, Lokeren-Temse. Nicknamed ''Il Ninja'', he spent almost his entir ...
to Inter. Santon and Zaniolo arrived in Rome for medicals on 25 June. The transfers were completed on 26 June, which Santon had a price tag of €9.5 million, signing a 4-year contract. He made his debut for the capital club on 31 August, coming off the bench for
Rick Karsdorp Rick Karsdorp (born 11 February 1995) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a right-back for club PSV Eindhoven and the Netherlands national team. Club career Feyenoord Early years Born in Schoonhoven, Netherlands, Karsdorp starte ...
in the league match against Milan. He made his Champions League debut with the ''Giallorossi'' on 23 October, as he was in the starting line-up of a 3–0 victory against
CSKA Moscow CSKA Moscow () is a Russian sports club based in Moscow. It was created in 1911 in the Russian Empire on base of OLLS (Skiing Society, founded 1901). Later, during the Soviet Union, Soviet era, it was the central part of the Armed Forces (sports ...
. On 3 October 2019, Santon made his
Europa League The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
debut for Roma in a 1–1 away draw against
Wolfsberger AC Wolfsberger AC, commonly referred to as Wolfsberg or simply WAC, is an Austrian association football club from Wolfsberg, Carinthia, who currently play in the Austrian Bundesliga. Between the 2007–08 and 2011–12 seasons, Wolfsberger AC enter ...
, starting the game at
right-back In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Defenders fall into four main categories: centre-backs, full-backs, sweepers ...
. After three years in which he failed to permanently win the starting job, partly due to recurring injuries, as well as testing positive for
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
, he was on the fringes of the first-team squad in the 2021–22 season under new head coach
José Mourinho José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix (; born 26 January 1963) is a Portuguese professional Association football, football Manager (association football), manager and former player, who is currently the head coach of Süper Lig club Fenerba ...
, failing to make any appearances. On 9 September 2022, Santon announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 31, due to recurring knee injuries.


International career

Santon played for Italy from under-16 level and made his goal-scoring debut in April 2007 in a 3–1 win over Slovenia. On 31 March 2009, he made his debut for the under-21 squad in a friendly against the
Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
, played at
Parkstad Limburg Stadion The Parkstad Limburg Stadion (, ) is a football stadium in Kerkrade, completed in 2000. With a present-day capacity of 19,979 seats, the stadium was officially opened on August 15, 2000, with a friendly between Roda JC and Real Zaragoza (2 ...
,
Kerkrade Kerkrade (; Kerkrade dialect, Ripuarian: ; ; or ''Kirchrath'') is a town and a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the southeast of Limburg (Netherlands), Limburg, the southernmost province of the Netherlands. It forms part of the P ...
, which ended in a 1–1 draw. Santon made his debut with the senior Italian team at age 18, on 6 June 2009 in a friendly match against
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
, played in
Pisa Pisa ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Tuscany, Central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for the Leaning Tow ...
. On the same night future Newcastle United teammate
Shane Ferguson Shane Kevin Ferguson (born 12 July 1991) is a Northern Irish professional footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, Am ...
made his debut as a substitute for the visitors. He played the whole match and his solid performances in Italy's 3–0 win earned him praise from his peers as well as coach
Marcello Lippi Marcello Romeo Lippi (; born 12 April 1948) is an Italian former professional association football, football player and manager, who led the Italy national football team, Italy national team to victory in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was appoin ...
. Lippi was impressed enough to name him in the roster for the
2009 FIFA Confederations Cup The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth FIFA Confederations Cup, Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009, as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton ...
, but Santon did not manage to make an appearance in the tournament as Italy went out in the first round. After some strong performances since signing with Newcastle, Santon was recalled to the national team under manager
Cesare Prandelli Claudio Cesare Prandelli (; born 19 August 1957) is an Italian former football coach and former player. Playing career Prandelli was a midfielder who moved from Atalanta to Juventus in 1979. His first game for Juventus was in the 1979–80 Eur ...
for the friendly against
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
in November 2012, however he did not come off the bench in the 1–2 home defeat. He started his next game for Italy, earning his eighth international cap on 6 February 2013, in a 1–1 draw against the
Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
. Shortly after rejoining
Inter Milan Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football ...
, Santon was recalled to the national team under manager
Antonio Conte Antonio Conte (; born 31 July 1969) is an Italian professional Association football, football manager and former player who is currently the head coach of Serie A club Napoli. He is widely regarded as one of the best football managers in the wo ...
for the friendly against
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
in March 2015, where he was an unused substitute.


Style of play

Although Santon was usually deployed as a left-back, he is naturally right-footed and started his youth career as a right-sided
attacker {{For, the term "attacker" in computer security, Hacker (computer security), Adversary (cryptography), Adversary (online algorithm) In some team sports, an attacker is a specific type of player, usually involved in aggressive play. Heavy attacker ...
or winger, later reverting to an attacking full-back or wing-back who could play on both sides of the pitch; he was known in particular for his pacy, energetic runs up and down the flank. Santon also possessed significant physical strength, good dribbling technique, and defensive awareness. Regarded as a promising player in his youth, his precocious displays for Inter and Italy in 2009 led his coaches at the time,
José Mourinho José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix (; born 26 January 1963) is a Portuguese professional Association football, football Manager (association football), manager and former player, who is currently the head coach of Süper Lig club Fenerba ...
and
Marcello Lippi Marcello Romeo Lippi (; born 12 April 1948) is an Italian former professional association football, football player and manager, who led the Italy national football team, Italy national team to victory in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was appoin ...
respectively, to describe him as a "predestined player", also comparing him to legendary Italian left-backs such as Paolo Maldini and
Giacinto Facchetti Giacinto Facchetti (; 18 July 1942 – 4 September 2006) was an Italian footballer who played as a left-back for Inter Milan from 1960 to 1978. He later served as Inter chairman from January 2004 until his death in 2006. He played 634 official ga ...
. In 2010, he was included in the ''
Don Balón ''Don Balón'' is a Spanish weekly sports magazine specializing in Spanish and international football. The magazine was published in Barcelona between 1975 and 2011. It was distributed on five continents. Since 2011 ''Don Balón'' has been a ful ...
'' list of the best young footballers in the world, born after 1989.


Personal life

In 2020, Santon married his long-term partner, Chloe Sanderson. The couple have two children together.


Career statistics


Club


International

Source:


Honours


Club

;Inter Milan *
Serie A The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
: 2008–09, 2009–10 *
Coppa Italia Coppa Italia () is the annual domestic cup of Italian football. The knockout competition was organized by the DDS and the Lega Calcio until the 2009–10 season and by Lega Serie A ever since. Juventus is the competition's most successf ...
: 2009–10,
2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
*
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
: 2009–10 *
FIFA Club World Cup The FIFA Club World Cup (FIFA CWC) is an international men's association football competition organised by the ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' (FIFA), the sport's global sports governing body, governing body. The compe ...
:
2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
Individual * Newcastle United Player of the Year: 2013


References


External links

* *
Unofficial fans website
*

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Santon, Davide 1991 births Living people Footballers from the Province of Ferrara Italian men's footballers Men's association football defenders Ravenna FC players Inter Milan players AC Cesena players Newcastle United F.C. players AS Roma players Serie A players Premier League players UEFA Champions League–winning players Italy men's youth international footballers Italy men's under-21 international footballers Italy men's international footballers 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup players Italian expatriate men's footballers Expatriate men's footballers in England Italian expatriate sportspeople in England People from Portomaggiore 21st-century Italian sportsmen