Clubs: AS Bari, AS Roma, Real Madrid CF, UC Sampdoria

• Cassano started out with home-town club Bari, for whom he made his Serie A debut at 17 and scored a brilliant late winning goal against FC Internazionale Milano in his second game.

• After 48 Serie A appearances and six goals for Bari he left for reigning champions Roma, aged 19, in summer 2001; experienced four volatile seasons in the Italian capital, peaking with an impressive 2003/04 campaign in which he scored 14 league goals.

• He made his senior Italy debut on 12 November 2003 in a 3-1 defeat by Poland and was the star turn for Giovanni Trapattoni's team at UEFA EURO 2004 in Portugal.

• Joined Madrid in January 2006, becoming only the second Italian to play for the club after Christian Panucci; suffered from disciplinary problems with his ex-Roma coach Fabio Capello and joined Sampdoria on loan in summer 2007.

• Thrived at Sampdoria and joined on a permanent basis after appearing for Italy at UEFA EURO 2008; scored 31 league goals in three seasons and helped the Genovese club to fourth place in Serie A in 2009/10, but moved to Milan in January 2011 on a three-and-a-half year deal following a disagreement with club president Riccardo Garrone.

• Despite excellent form for Sampdoria, and public clamour for his inclusion, he did not make Marcello Lippi's 2010 FIFA World Cup squad; restored to the side under new coach Cesare Prandelli and scored in the opening two UEFA EURO 2012 qualifiers.