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Graziano Pellè

Graziano Pellè
Audi- quattro-Cup 02.JPG
Pellè with Southampton in 2015.
Personal information
Full name Graziano Pellè
Date of birth (1985-07-15) 15 July 1985 (age 31)
Place of birth San Cesario di Lecce, Italy
Height 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current team
Shandong Luneng
Number 19
Youth career
2001–2004 Lecce
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004–2007 Lecce 12 (0)
2005 Catania (loan) 15 (0)
2006 Crotone (loan) 17 (6)
2006–2007 Cesena (loan) 38 (10)
2007–2011 AZ 78 (14)
2011–2013 Parma 12 (1)
2012 Sampdoria (loan) 16 (4)
2012–2013 Feyenoord (loan) 29 (27)
2013–2014 Feyenoord 28 (23)
2014–2016 Southampton 68 (23)
2016– Shandong Luneng 13 (5)
National team
2004–2005 Italy U20 10 (7)
2005–2007 Italy U21 11 (0)
2008 Italy Olympic 5 (0)
2014– Italy 20 (9)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 30 October 2016 (UTC).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 6 October 2016

Graziano Pellè (Italian pronunciation: [ɡratˈtsjaːno pelˈlɛ]; born 15 July 1985) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Chinese club Shandong Luneng and the Italy national team.

Pellè began his career at local Serie A club Lecce, and was loaned to three lower-division sides before moving to the Dutch club AZ in 2007. He won the Eredivisie title in his second of four seasons at the club. After brief spells back in Italy with Parma and Sampdoria, he returned to the Dutch top flight, where his consistent scoring for Feyenoord earned Pellè an £8 million transfer to Southampton in July 2014. In July 2016, after two seasons in the Premier League, Pellè moved to Shandong Luneng for an estimated transfer fee of £12 million.

Pellè represented Italy at under-20 and under-21 level. He also played for the nation's Olympic team in 2008, but was not selected for the tournament. He scored on his senior international debut in 2014 and represented the nation at UEFA Euro 2016, where Italy reached the quarter-finals.

Born in San Cesario di Lecce, Province of Lecce, Pellè is from Monteroni di Lecce. He could have chosen ballroom dancing as his profession after becoming national under-12s champion in partnership with his sister Fabiana. He started playing for local club Lecce's youth teams; his father Roberto was a striker for Lecce in Serie C. Graziano won two Campionato Primavera titles and the 2002 Coppa Italia Primavera. He made his Serie A debut on 11 January 2004 in 1–2 home defeat against Bologna, making a total of two appearances in the season.


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