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Player of the Week - Graziano Pellè

Player of the Week - Graziano Pellè

Pelle signs for Southampton!

No, it's not Brazilian legend - Pele, but Italian striker, Graziano Pelle, who arrived from Dutch club, Feyennoord, in the summer and has made a fantastic start to his Southampton career. Pelle now has 3 Premier League goals in his last 2 matches, after scoring a double to sink Newcastle United at St. Mary's stadium. Pelle scores with a fantastic header.With Pelle playing like his Brazilian namesake Southampton fans may soon forget about losing key players such as Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw, Rickie Lambert and Dejan Lovren. A lot of new players have also arrived at Southampton in the summer, including Dusan Tadic (FC Twente), Ryan Bertrand (Chelsea), Fraser Forster (Celtic), Toby Alderweireld (Atletico Madrid) and striker, Shane Long for a record fee of a reported £12 million. But it is Pelle who is making a name for himself at the moment and helping Southampton climb the Premier League table. One player who believes that all the transfers have had a positive effect on the team is Southampton and France midfielder, Morgan Schneiderlin:

"There were questions about why the club was selling players, but they brought in some quality players and you can argue now that the team is better than last year." Morgan Schneiderlin.

What do we know about Pelle?

Pelle was born in July 1985 in San Cesario di Lecce, a small town in the south-east of Italy. He signed for local Serie A club, US Lecce, but only made 12 appearances for the team in 3 seasons, and was loaned to three other Italian clubs between 2004 and 2007. In 2007, Pelle, who hadn't made a breakthrough in Italian football, decided to move abroad. Pelle scores against Newcastle Utd.He signed for AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands, and scored 14 goals in 78 appearances. In 2011, he returned to Italy to sign for Serie A side, Parma.  After only 6 months he was sent on loan again, this time to Sampdoria and then in the summer of 2012, a return to the Netherlands with Feyenoord. After a season on loan with the Dutch giants, he was signed permanently. In total, he spent two seasons with Feyenoord and scored over 55 goals in only 66 appearances!

"I had Graziano in my team for my last two years at Feyenoord. He scored a lot of goals - more than 50 in two seasons!" Southampton manager, Ronald Koeman.

How will Pelle adapt to the Premier League?

Many pundits believe Pelle is perfect for the type of football that is played in England. He is 193cm tall and very strong, he can dominate defenders and is very good in the air. He is also very good with the ball at his feet and can score with either foot.Pelle and Koeman were at Feyenoord together.Another reason why Pelle will do well in the Premier League is his manager, Ronald Koeman. Koeman was also Pelle's manager at Feyenoord so he knows how to get great performances from him. Finally, Pelle already speaks good English, so he should have no problems communicating with teammates on the pitch and adapting to life off the pitch. Check out the video of Pelle talking about his 2 goals against Newcastle at the end of this article.

What is Pelle looking forward to in the Premier League?

Graziano Pelle is fulfilling a childhood dream by playing in the Premier League. He has said that it was always one of his dreams to play in the Premier League from when he was young and watched Alan Shearer and Dennis Bergkamp scoring goals. He scored a lot of goals in Holland, but the level of football in England is different, although he hopes that he can score a lot of goals here too. 

Pelle at Feyenoord

"Last year, everyone in Europe was impressed by Southampton's performances, and it’s clear that the club is growing. It’s great to be here." Graziano Pelle.

Who do you want in your team? 

Football legend - Pele.Pundits have claimed that in the last few weeks Pelle has been playing more like the Brazilian Pele. Have a look at the table below, could any modern day player score the quantity of goals that Pele managed in his career?

 

Pele's Career Statistics
  Games Goals Honours
Pele 1366 1283 40

 

“We put in a really good performance, and 4-0 is a great result.” Graziano Pelle talking about Southampton's 4-0 win against Newcastle.

Watch a video of Pelle talking about his 2 goals against Newcastle and a good start to his career at Southampton. 

Pelle slotting the ball past the Newcastle goalkeeper, Getty.

What did you understand?

 
How much did you understand?

Pelle signs for Southampton!

No, it's not Brazilian legend - Pele, but Italian striker, Graziano Pelle, who arrived from Dutch club, Feyennoord, in the summer and has made a fantastic start to his Southampton career. Pelle now has 3 Premier League goals in his last 2 matches, after scoring a double to sink Newcastle United at St. Mary's stadium. With Pelle playing like his Brazilian namesake we may see Southampton fans forget about losing key players such as Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw, Rickie Lambert and Dejan Lovren. A lot of new players have also arrived at Southampton in the summer, including Dusan Tadic (FC Twente), Ryan Bertrand (Chelsea), Fraser Forster (Celtic), Toby Alderweireld (Atletico Madrid) and striker, Shane Long for a record fee of a reported £12 million. But, it is Pelle who is making a name for himself at the moment and helping Southampton climb the Premier League table. One player who believes that all the transfers have had a positive effect on the team is Southampton and France midfielder, Morgan Schneiderlin:

"There were questions about why the club was selling players, but they brought in some quality players and you can argue now that the team is better than last year." Morgan Schneiderlin.

What do we know about Pelle?

Pelle was born in July 1985 in San Cesario di Lecce, a small town in the south-east of Italy. He signed for local Serie A club, US Lecce, but only made 12 appearances for the team in 3 seasons, and was loaned to three other Italian clubs between 2004 and 2007. In 2007, Pelle, having not made a breakthrough in Italian football, decided to move abroad. He signed for AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands, and scored 14 goals in 78 appearances. In 2011, he returned to Italy to sign for Serie A side, Parma.  After only 6 months he was sent on loan again, this time to Sampdoria and then in the summer of 2012 a return to the Netherlands with Feyenoord. After a season on loan with the Dutch giants he was signed permanently. In total, he spent two seasons with Feyenoord and scored over 50 goals in only 57 appearances!

"I had Graziano in my team for my last two years at Feyenoord. He scored a lot of goals - more than 50 in two seasons!" Southampton manager, Ronald Koeman.

How will Pelle adapt to the Premier League?

Many pundits believe Pelle is perfect for the type of football that is played in England. He is 193cm tall and very strong, he can dominate defenders and is very good in the air. He is also very good with the ball at his feet and can score with either foot.Another reason why Pelle will do well in the Premier League is his manager, Ronald Koeman. Koeman was also Pelle's manager at Feyenoord so knows how to get great performances from him. Finally, Pelle already speaks good English, so he should have no problems communicating with teammates on the pitch and adapting to life off the pitch. Check out the video of Pelle talking about his 2 goals against Newcastle at the end of this article.

What is Pelle looking forward to in the Premier League?

Graziano Pelle is fulfilling a childhood dream by playing in the Premier League. He has said that it was always one of his dreams to play in the Premier League from when he was young and watched Alan Shearer and Dennis Bergkamp scoring goals. He scored a lot of goals in Holland, but the level of football in England is different, although he hopes that he can score a lot of goals here too. 

"Last year, everyone in Europe was impressed by Southampton's performances, and it’s clear that the club is growing. It’s great to be here." Graziano Pelle.

Who do you want in your team? 

Pundits have claimed that in the last few weeks Pelle has been playing more like the Brazilian Pele. Have a look at the table below, could any modern day player score the quantity of goals that Pele managed in his career?

 

Pele's Career Statistics
  Games Goals Honours
Pele 1366 1283 40

 

“We put in a really good performance, and 4-0 is a great result.” Graziano Pelle talking about Southampton's 4-0 win against Newcastle.

Watch a video of Pelle talking about his 2 goals against Newcastle and a good start to his career at Southampton. 

Activity 1: In this activity, try to answer the questions to show how much of the article you understand.

 


 

Match the information with the correct club or player.
Activity 2: There were lots of different clubs and players in the article. Can you match the right information to each club or player?

 


 

Did you know......?

  • In 2012/13 at Feyenoord, Pelle became the highest scoring Italian goalscorer ever, in a league outside of Italy.
  • Pelle can speak English, French and Spanish as well as his native Italian!
  • Last season, Southampton bought another Italian striker, Dani Osvaldo, but he made only 13 appearances before moving back to Italy.
  • Southampton's only major honour was in 1976, when they won the FA Cup.
  • Southampton were originally called Southampton St, Mary's. Now, only their stadium is called St. Mary's.
Pelle scoring his first Premier League goal, Getty.

Quiz

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What do you think?

Pelle scoring against West Ham

Will Pelle or Mario Balotelli be the top scoring Italian this season?

Pelle was one of the top scorers in the Dutch league. Will he be successful in the Premier League?

Is Pele the best player to have ever played football?

 

 

Leave a message in the comments section below and tell us what you think.   

 

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Comments

hsn's picture
hsn
14/12/2022
TR
5560
points

It has been claimed that she won't make a breakthrough because of long term injuries, another reason why she didn't well is adapting problem.


hsn's picture
hsn
14/12/2022 18:52
Turkey
Tottenham Hotspur
5560

It has been claimed that she won't make a breakthrough because of long term injuries, another reason why she didn't well is adapting problem.

Gabriel Amaral's picture
Gabriel Amaral
09/06/2021
BR
1512
points

I can only manage to answer the last one: Pelé was for sure the best player ever in footabll history. Not only for the goals he scored, but how he dealed with the ball, how he adjusted his body in different situations and for the both individual and collective (Santos F.C and brazilian national team) titles he won.


Gabriel Amaral's picture
Gabriel Amaral
09/06/2021 22:12
Brazil
Arsenal
1512

I can only manage to answer the last one: Pelé was for sure the best player ever in footabll history. Not only for the goals he scored, but how he dealed with the ball, how he adjusted his body in different situations and for the both individual and collective (Santos F.C and brazilian national team) titles he won.

mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
20/06/2020
TR
6539
points

It's hard to say who is the best ever but Pele for sure is one of the best ever alongside Maradona , Messi , Zidane , Cristiano Ronaldo and much more.......


mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
20/06/2020 22:01
Turkey
Manchester United
6539

It's hard to say who is the best ever but Pele for sure is one of the best ever alongside Maradona , Messi , Zidane , Cristiano Ronaldo and much more.......

mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
20/06/2020
TR
6539
points

Graziano Pelle was a promising talent but his moving from one club to another didn't help him to settle down and focus on his career.


mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
20/06/2020 22:00
Turkey
Manchester United
6539

Graziano Pelle was a promising talent but his moving from one club to another didn't help him to settle down and focus on his career.

HakanUslu1881's picture
HakanUslu1881
26/03/2016
TR
1761
points

I am not sure about that :)


HakanUslu1881's picture
HakanUslu1881
26/03/2016 05:14
Turkey
Leicester City
1761

I am not sure about that :)

HakanUslu1881's picture
HakanUslu1881
26/03/2016
TR
1761
points

I think yes he will be.


HakanUslu1881's picture
HakanUslu1881
26/03/2016 05:13
Turkey
Leicester City
1761

I think yes he will be.

HakanUslu1881's picture
HakanUslu1881
26/03/2016
TR
1761
points

I really like hm football.


HakanUslu1881's picture
HakanUslu1881
26/03/2016 05:13
Turkey
Leicester City
1761

I really like hm football.

assemjuve's picture
assemjuve
23/02/2016
PS
3705
points

Yes he is.


assemjuve's picture
assemjuve
23/02/2016 12:15
Palestinian Territory
Liverpool
3705

Yes he is.

assemjuve's picture
assemjuve
23/02/2016
PS
3705
points

Pelle.


assemjuve's picture
assemjuve
23/02/2016 12:15
Palestinian Territory
Liverpool
3705

Pelle.

MUGEMANYI's picture
MUGEMANYI
03/12/2015
RW
2320
points

I don't know what happened to the Saints, their defeat of 6-1 against Liverpool last night surprised me


MUGEMANYI's picture
MUGEMANYI
03/12/2015 14:31
Rwanda
Arsenal
2320

I don't know what happened to the Saints, their defeat of 6-1 against Liverpool last night surprised me

Rich's picture
Rich
03/12/2015
ES
594
points

A fantastic result!


Rich's picture
Rich
03/12/2015 15:21
Spain
Liverpool
594

A fantastic result!

nikosonris
04/12/2015
UA
2453
points

Happy for Klopp's team and disappointed about the Magpies. NUFC need something to change.


nikosonris
04/12/2015 17:23
Ukraine
Arsenal
2453

Happy for Klopp's team and disappointed about the Magpies. NUFC need something to change.

aragorn1986's picture
aragorn1986
29/11/2015
ME
3557
points

Graziano will be one of the key players in Premier league. What a fantastic player! He might become best italian player ever who played BPL..


aragorn1986's picture
aragorn1986
29/11/2015 10:14
Montenegro
Arsenal
3557

Graziano will be one of the key players in Premier league. What a fantastic player! He might become best italian player ever who played BPL..

nikosonris
17/11/2015
UA
2453
points

I would also add Sadio Mane to form the Saints' attacking triangle.


nikosonris
17/11/2015 13:43
Ukraine
Arsenal
2453

I would also add Sadio Mane to form the Saints' attacking triangle.

aragorn1986's picture
aragorn1986
02/11/2015
ME
3557
points

Great player, great performances. Truly brilliant!


aragorn1986's picture
aragorn1986
02/11/2015 19:42
Montenegro
Arsenal
3557

Great player, great performances. Truly brilliant!

MUGEMANYI's picture
MUGEMANYI
03/12/2015
RW
2320
points

You're right, he's more talented player


MUGEMANYI's picture
MUGEMANYI
03/12/2015 14:32
Rwanda
Arsenal
2320

You're right, he's more talented player

almirpereira's picture
almirpereira
26/10/2015
BR
1339
points

You're the Heroes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


almirpereira's picture
almirpereira
26/10/2015 17:29
Brazil
Chelsea
1339

You're the Heroes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rema's picture
Rema
09/01/2015
RS
538
points

Pelle is a fantastic striker with great feeling for a goal.
For second goal on this match assistent was my compatriot Dušan Tadić.
Tadić and Pelle are destroyers of opponents nets.


Rema's picture
Rema
09/01/2015 13:15
Serbia
West Ham United
538

Pelle is a fantastic striker with great feeling for a goal.
For second goal on this match assistent was my compatriot Dušan Tadić.
Tadić and Pelle are destroyers of opponents nets.

Rich's picture
Rich
09/01/2015
ES
594
points

Pelle and Tadić have formed a great partnership with Tadić on the wing and Pelle in the middle. They were both in Holland last season and I think all Southampton fans are grateful to their Dutch manager (Koeman) for bringing them together!


Rich's picture
Rich
09/01/2015 15:45
Spain
Liverpool
594

Pelle and Tadić have formed a great partnership with Tadić on the wing and Pelle in the middle. They were both in Holland last season and I think all Southampton fans are grateful to their Dutch manager (Koeman) for bringing them together!

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Average: 4 (1 vote)

Goals

In this article, you will:

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Learn all about Southampton's Italian star, Graziano Pellè, and learn some new vocabulary.

Tips

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