Position: Forward
Born: 05.07.82
Club: AC Milan

Born on the day Italy last lifted the World Cup, Alberto Gilardino could form part of a new strikerforce for the national side in Germany.

Marcello Lippi's willingness to look beyond the usual suspects of Christian Vieri and Alessandro del Piero has coincided with a glut of prolific, hungry strikers in Serie A.

Along with Luca Toni, Gilardino has impressed in international colours and is well ahead of Vincenzo Iaquinta and Cristiano Lucarelli in the pecking order.

The striker, who will be 24 at the back-end of the tournament, possesses a lethal shot, sharp pace and an admirable work rate.

Gilardino made his debut for Piacenza in 1999 before moving to Verona the following year but it was not until he joined Parma that the goals started flying in.

An innocuous first season at the Gialloblu gave no evidence of what was to come, nor did the more than respectable six goals he got in the first half of 2003/2004.

However, following the winter break, Gilardino began an incredible goalscoring spree, banging in a further 17 goals to finish on 23 for the season, and he has not stopped scoring since.

There was clamour for Gilardino to be included in Italy's Euro 2004 squad but he was ignored. Instead he fired Italy to glory in the European Under-21 Championship, finishing top scorer, before helping the Olympic side to a bronze medal in the same summer.

In 2004/2005 the striker struck 24 times in a side that only escaped relegation courtesy of a play-off in which Gilardino, predictably, scored the winner.

That was to be his last game for Parma with Milan winning the battle to sign him after agreeing a fee in excess of £17million.

Gilardino took the move to the San Siro in his stride, outscoring Andriy Shevchenko in Milan's league games.

The Biella-born player has cemented his place in the Italy squad but could miss out on a starting role if Antonio Cassano prospers at Real Madrid.

• 15 Vincenzo Iaquinta
• 23 Marco Materazzi
• 13 Alessandro Nesta
• 21 Andrea Pirlo
• 9 Luca Toni
• 10 Francesco Totti
• Christian Vieri
• 19 Gianluca Zambrotta