Claudio Marchisio is amongst a rare breed in Italian football today. A proud product of the Juventus youth system, the 24-year-old Turin-born midfielder has worn the Bianconeri jersey for as along as his chilhood hero Alessandro Del Piero. Now a fixture in the starting eleven, the youngster fans call Il Principino ("The Little Prince") has gone from strength to strength in establishing himself as Juve's finest midfield prospect in recent years.

While in the youth system, Claudio played as a trequartista, modeling his game after Del Piero before being switched into a midfielder in his mid-teens and flourished in his new role. Since then, he has matured into an all-rounded versatile midfielder capable in both attacking and defensive roles. Unlike some of his compatriots, Claudio rarely buckles under the pressure associated with the professional game, whether it's playing in front of the hostile Artemio Franchi crowd in Florence or coming up against a star-studded Chelsea side in a do-or-die Champions League match.

After breaking into the first team, Claudio established himself in the Italy U-21 squad as first choice. His last outing in the Azzurrini shirt ended disappointingly at the 2009 European Championships as he missed the semifinal through suspension and watched in the stands as his teammates lost 1-0 in a tight match against Germany. In August, he made his senior debut and has since been a regular call-up whenever fit.