Corradi accepts City challenge

Italy striker Bernardo Corradi will try his luck in England after leaving Valencia CF for a three-year contract with Manchester City FC.

Regular scorer
The 30-year-old becomes the Premiership club's fifth summer signing and has high hopes of replicating his scoring prowess in Serie A. Aside from an unsuccessful spell with Valencia in 2004/05, Corradi has scored ten goals in each of his last five campaigns in Italy. He came to prominence in 2000/01 with AC Chievo Verona before moving to S.S. Lazio in 2002/03, via an all-too-brief stint at FC Internazionale Milano. After two years in Rome, Valencia came calling, but he went on loan to Parma FC for the 2005/06 season.

High hopes
"I hope to bring all my enthusiasm to Manchester City and I want to show everyone that I want to work hard, now and during the season, with my team-mates," Corradi said. "I want to do well." City manager Stuart Pearce was "delighted" with the addition of the 13-times capped forward, for an undisclosed fee, saying: "He is a player I've been looking at for some time and he will be a terrific acquisition." The club have also recruited goalkeeper Joe Hart, midfielders Dietmar Hamann and Ousmane Dabo, and striker Paul Dickov. In addition, City have named 26-year-old Republic of Ireland defender Richard Dunne as their new captain, succeeding Sylvain Distin.