The Beautiful Game

The player touted as the man most likely to follow Owen Hargreaves, Nani and Anderson through the door at Old Trafford is the mouthful that is 23 year-old Sampdoria striker Fabio Quagliarella.

He scored two sensational goals on his debut for Italy in a 2-0 Euro 2008 qualifying win over Lithuania last week, but this video - combined with rather modest goal-scoring statistics - suggests he is more a scorer of great goals than a great goal-scorer.

The 45-yard half-volley at the end is the goal that really catches the eye (and bears a striking resemblance to Christian Vieri’s goal against Siena this season), but the deft left-footed chip at 1:20 is absolutely exquisite.

A twenty-first century Mark Hughes, perhaps…