Borini keeps on running

Borini keeps on running
Ahead of Fabio Borini’s Italy bow, Scott Fleming recounts the tireless youngster’s journey from West London to the Welsh Coast to the banks of the Tiber, with a knife between his teeth.

He never stops running. Watch the eight goals Fabio Borini has scored for Roma this season and you’ll find almost all of them are the culmination of lung bursting runs. But he doesn’t stop there. He doesn’t catch his breath or accept the congratulations of his teammates, he keeps on running, as if he doesn’t understand the game and isn’t aware he’s scored, like a little moustachioed Forrest Gump. He gallops off towards the sidelines, a big smile on his face, his right hand thrust between his teeth.

As celebrations go it’s fairly naff, not quite as cool as Francesco Totti’s thumb sucking or Pablo Osvaldo’s machine gun routine, but it does provide us with some important insight if you’re wondering what made Chelsea sign Borini when he was just 16 – or what has compelled Cesare Prandelli to give the now 20-year-old his first international call-up for Italy’s friendly against the USA in Genoa.

“I’ve been planning that celebration for a long time,” he said after scoring his first senior goals in March last year, a brace for Swansea versus Nottingham Forest. “In Italy it means you’ve got the knife between your teeth – it’s when you want to achieve something so badly that you are angry to reach your goals.”

Borini, who is a full three years younger than anyone else in the Azzurri squad for tomorrow’s game, has had the good fortune to work with a bevy of respected Coaches in his short career to date, from Carlo Ancelotti to Brendan Rogers, Ciro Ferrara, Luis Enrique and now Prandelli, and not one of them has a bad thing to say about the boy from Bentivoglio.

If there’s a theme to the praise lavished upon Borini by bosses past and present it’s this – his mental qualities, hunger, passion, the ‘knife between his teeth’, distinguish him and promote him above more naturally gifted teammates. “I was left very impressed by his determination,” says Prandelli.

“Fabio lives for goals, first and foremost he expects to score in every game he plays,” commented Rodgers, whose Swansea side have been adulated for their attractive football in the Premier League, but might still be in the Championship if it wasn’t for Borini, so influential was the young Italian in his two months on loan at the Welsh club. Rodgers, who had previously worked with Borini in his capacity as reserve team Coach at Chelsea, attempted to bring the Azzurrini forward back to the Liberty Stadium even after Parma’s summer swoop, but the Roma deal was already done. Borini headed for the Eternal City before he’d made a single competitive appearance for the Gialloblu.

Signing for such a big club seemed premature, and the Bologna youth product was little more than a bit part player until Osvaldo was struck down by injury in January. Enrique could have drafted in former Barcelona colleague Bojan Krkic as a replacement. If it was just a matter of God given ability he would have. “Enrique can no longer do without the tireless running of Borini,” declared the Gazzetta dello Sport after the Giallorossi’s 4-0 victory over Inter at the start of the month. “He ran himself into the ground and did the work of two players.” That game was Borini’s breakthrough, he scored two splendid goals and left Inter’s defenders Lucio and Walter Samuel wheezing and reaching for their zimmer frames.

His style of play is old fashioned, as is his hair, his moustache, even his position – not quite a winger, not quite a forward, more of a wing forward. But while Borini may lack Bojan’s sophistication he more than makes up for it with good old-fashioned graft. And that’s what makes him arguably the most exciting player Italy have produced since the man whose place he has took in Prandelli’s squad, Mario Balotelli.

One of my fav Roma players atm not because he's scoring goals,but for his great work rate,he makes Taddei look lazy that's how good he is.

Love his celebration to,pure genius.

<3 Borini

Love the explanation behind the celebration. Great stuff from such a young guy.

Most fans rate Destro and El Shaarawy higher, but Borini right up there with them and when he's running his heart out and scoring even when the rest of team is sucking, that says so much about him as a footballer.

He is becoming a fan favourite very quick. He leaves his heart on the field for Roma <3

I am loving Borinis attitude!!!! Really hope this kid breaks the double digit goal mark this year in Serie A, and maybe even up to 12-15. That would be fantastic and well deserved for this future super star!!

He got some minutes with the Italian national team today, thus making his international debut. He did pretty well, had a few chances to score but wasn't able to take them. He put in, as usual, a lot of running which we the team was really lacking. He played mostly out wide on the right in an adapted 4-2-3-1/4-3-3, but received instructions from Prandelli to get closer to Pazzini.

De Rossi also made a substitute appearance but didn't have much time to really influence the game. He went forward on a couple of occasions in a desperate attempt to find an equalizing goal.

The best player for Italy, imo, was Ogbonna. He impressed me. I wasn't too sure what to expect from him since he does play in Serie B, but he adapted well and lived up to expectations. He's quite physical and good on the ball, I would keep a closer eye on him as he could be a potential transfer target for us this summer, once again.

I just love this guy. He has everything.

He came on yesterday and was possibly our best striker throughout the whole game and outperformed the wasteful Matri and Pazzo with his sheer energy.

Its not only his work rate and energy, its his pure technique which has been overlooked now. I've seen excellent use of both feet and yesterday I saw his glimpses of his intelligence and visionary link play and passes from him.

Roma at the moment have a tremendously capable talent on there hands.

Too bad he didn't get a goal though.

I also heard him on Rai afterwards, he sounds very intelligent and his Italian is quite proficient.