Hyped by Zlatan, hidden by Maldini – Italy’s next great striker?

Inter Milan’s 20-year-old striker Francesco Pio Esposito is rightly being lauded and scored his first goal for Italy against Estonia last week, but another name is making waves – Francesco Camarda, a player three years younger, and potentially more devastating.

Together, they could well become the strike partnership that defines the Azzurri’s future.

At 17 years, six months and 18 days old, Camarda scored his first Serie A goal against Bologna in September, becoming the youngest player in Lecce’s history to do so – the AC Milan forward sent south to gain experience on loan under Eusebio di Francesco.

With that goal before the international break, he broke yet another record in his remarkably precocious career.

Camarda had already made history on 25 November 2023, when he came on late in Milan’s game against Fiorentina.

Under Stefano Pioli, he became the youngest player to make his debut in Serie A. The Italian FA granted Milan a special exemption to allow Camarda to play at just 15 years, eight months, and 13 days, because regulations do not allow players under 16 to feature in the top flight.

He was also the youngest player to appear for Milan, breaking the record held by legendary defender Paolo Maldini.

The following season, under Paulo Fonseca, he made his Champions League debut against Club Brugge – with a goal ruled out by the video assistant referee (VAR) – becoming Milan and Italy’s youngest player to feature in the competition at 16 years and 226 days.

This week, he also became the youngest Italian ever to score for the under-21s national team. On his Azzurrini debut against Sweden in a European Championship qualifier, the 17-year-old netted a cheeky Panenka penalty.

It showcased all his qualities – composure, quick feet, strength on the ball, and an ice-cold temperament in front of goal.

“Sometimes, when he drops deep, he still looks a bit raw technically, but inside the box he’s a phenomenon,” said manager Massimiliano Favo, who led Italy Under-17s to victory at the 2024 European Championship, where Camarda was his main striker.

In that tournament, despite being a year younger than most team-mates, Camarda scored four goals – including two in the final against Portugal and the decisive penalty versus England in the quarter-finals – earning both the trophy and the player of the tournament award.

“His hunger and the way he earns the respect of team-mates are his biggest strengths, even more than his natural scoring instinct, because he lives for goals,” said Favo.

Camarda, who has always played with older team-mates, has been regarded as a prodigy in Italy for years.

But Milan – his boyhood club, where he has been since age seven – have done well to shield him from the spotlight. He, in turn, has let his talent do the talking.

“You could tell right away he was different. His awareness and speed of thought stood out,” said Angelo Carbone, former head of Milan’s youth academy and now in charge at US Sassuolo.

“The first time I saw him was at a seven-a-side trial. He did things with incredible simplicity – direct, effective play, and decisions beyond his age.

“You could see it in how he used his body and received the ball – those are innate qualities. Even before the play reaches the box, he already knows where to be to get to the ball first.”

And if anyone still doubted his confidence, former AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic provided proof in his own way.

“When I messaged Ibra, I was only 10,” Camarda explained in a news conference before the Sweden game. “I admired him a lot, and still do. He’s a player I’ve learned so much from.”

Camarda – who has a tattoo of the San Siro’s Curva Sud on his right arm – seems to take everything in his stride, showing remarkable calm under the weight of expectation.

“Honestly, I don’t think about it much,” he said. “People say I’m destined for greatness – I don’t.

“I just focus on the present, day by day, trying to enjoy myself and give my best for both club and country. I try to block out the noise, because in the end the pitch speaks.”

The boy who has already scored more than 500 goals in youth football is very close to his parents, who moved from the Milan area to Lecce to support his development.

Milan clearly see him as part of their future – after fending off interest from the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester United and Manchester City, they tied him down with a contract until 2028.

“I remember when, at 16, we called him up for the under-18s to play a friendly against the first team,” recalls Carbone.

“He was marked by Fikayo Tomori, and he scored right away. [Milan technical director] Maldini, who was watching, immediately asked to switch off the Milan Channel cameras – Camarda wasn’t under contract yet, and he didn’t want foreign clubs to notice him.”

“Maybe not right away, but in a few years, he’ll be a top player,” predicts Italy Under-21s boss Favo.

“Francesco has all the qualities to become a key figure for Italian football,” said Carbone. “Will it happen? We can’t say yet, but he certainly has everything it takes.

“He still has to follow his process of development though – he’s still just a 17-year-old kid.”

A kid who added two more goals to his tally in his second game for Italy Under-21s against Armenia on Tuesday.